


Once More Unto The Breach

by Sang_argente



Category: Glee
Genre: Fluff and Angst, M/M, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-01
Updated: 2014-01-03
Packaged: 2017-12-31 04:46:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 21,980
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1027382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sang_argente/pseuds/Sang_argente
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Their relationship near over, Kurt and Dave are given a one time chance to go back to the beginning. Will it change things enough to keep them together? Do they even want it to?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"Chinese?"

The simple question broke through the fragile, uncomfortable silence roughly, leaving jagged edges in its wake. Mourning the loss of silence and dreading yet another argument with his fiance, Dave reluctantly turned away from the window.

"What about them?"

"Oh, honestly, David?" Kurt rolled his eyes. His fingers- his beautiful, pale fingers that hadn't touched him with love in weeks, thought Dave sadly -were wrapped around the steering wheel with a tight, white-knuckled grip. "For dinner. Do you want to pick up some Chinese for dinner?"

A wave of embarrassment washed over Dave followed shortly by a wave of anger at being embarrassed. For God's sake, Kurt was his fiance. He should be able to make a little mistake without the endgame being him feeling like an idiot. He hated feeling like an idiot especially since he always lashed out at the nearest person. Which, lately, had only been Kurt. Kurt, his fiance, who kept making him feel like an idiot.

So, true to form, he lashed out. "Oh, we're going to eat dinner together again? This is a surprise."

Kurt's breathing hitched roughly and his eyes slipped shut in pain for just a short moment. He brushed trembling fingers through his bangs as he sighed. "I'm sorry, David. You're right. We haven't spent much time together in a while."

Dave snorted and turned back to the window. "Try weeks. Hell, the last time I even saw you was at that showcase thing you had last Saturday. Saturday, Kurt. Today is Thursday. I'd forget we even live together if it wasn't for the other side of the bed being warm when I get up in the morning. Or, y'know, the fact that you're constantly bitching about closet space."

"David. . ." Kurt choked out. His glasz eyes were wet with a sheen of tears that he refused to let fall. He was so tired of crying over his relationship with his fiance. He was tired of the silence and the fighting. He was tired of feeling cold and knowing it was because the heat of his and Dave's relationship- the passion that brought them together in the first place- was dying. He was just so fucking tired.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Dave shaking his head sharply. "Don't," the other man said, not turning away from the window this time. "Just. . .don't, Kurt."

Besides the sad little sigh that Kurt let out in response, the rest of the car ride passed in silence. The kind of silence that was cold and hollow. The kind of silence that signaled the end.

***

Dinner couldn't have started off any more uncomfortable and awkward than it did. A once happy, passionate couple who, in the past, would've been in the same seat nearly on top of each other, sat across the table from each other resolutely looking anywhere but at the other.

"Order?"

Kurt snapped his head up from where he was staring at the wood grain in the table and looked at the waiter. The man was older but still gave off an air of gentle mysticism. And he was looking at Kurt and Dave with a strange wide smile on his face. Kurt couldn't help but feel cautious and on edge. Fortunately, Dave didn't seem to think anything was wrong.

"Yes," he said, turning to look fully at the waiter. "If we could just get some spring rolls, sweet and sour chicken with noodles, orange chicken with vegetable fried rice, that'd be great thanks."

The waiter nodded, still with that creepy smile on his face. He turned to walk off but Dave stopped him before he could get too far.

"Oh! And some egg drop soup?" Dave waited for the man to nod before he smiled in appreciation. "Thanks."

Stunned, Kurt watched as the waiter went away before turning to look at Dave who in turn was looking at him with raised eyebrows. He flushed and focused his eyes on his hands, picking at his nails as he spoke quietly, "You remembered."

"What?"

"The soup," Kurt clarified. "You remembered to order a soup you hate just because I told you one time, nearly two years ago, that I couldn't eat Chinese without it."

Dave shrugged. "Well, yeah, Kurt. I mean, I may not know what's been up with you lately but, Jesus. Just because we're going through a rough patch right now doesn't mean I'm going to ignore all the good times that have happened between us."

Kurt gasped and looked up at his fiance for the first time in a long time. "Is that all this is? A rough patch?"

". . .yes?" Dave stared back at Kurt, confused. "Kurt, baby, I love you. And things might be a little tough but we'll work through this."

The tears were too much to hold back now. Quiet and slow, they dripped down Kurt's cheeks as he grinned at Dave tentatively. "You mean that?"

"Yes! What did you think was going on?"

"I thought you were going to leave me," Kurt admitted quietly, his face burning with shame at the assumption.

Dave stared at him incredulously. Blinking furiously, he tried to get his thoughts in order but all he could get out was "Kurt! What-?"

Wiping his eyes, Kurt shrugged as if he didn't really care how Dave would take what he was about to say but it was clear from his strained smile that that wasn't the truth. "I'm sorry, David, I should have trusted you. It's just that Rachel said-"

"Wait," Dave lifted a hand, cutting Kurt off. "Rachel? What does she have to do with us?"

Glasz eyes flashed as Kurt looked up at his fiance in disbelief. "You don't know?" he asked in a quiet voice.

"How would I know?" Dave shot back gently, quirking an eyebrow. "We don't ever talk anymore. We hardly see each other. The only reason I even made it to your showcase last week is because some girl from your office e-mailed me. So please. Can you just cut the crap and tell me what's going on with Rachel?"

Kurt sighed shakily. How could he say this carefully enough to where David wouldn't cause a scene? Now that he was sure David still loved him, he knew that the older man would be angry when he learned what Rachel- as well as many other old friends- had been telling Kurt for the past few months.

Across the table, Dave could see the conflicting thoughts fighting for control on Kurt's face. The younger man was clearly scared and worried about something. Steeling himself, Dave reached a hand out and laid it over Kurt's on the table. Kurt looked up and smiled weakly when Dave squeezed.

"Kurt. . ." Dave started but was cut off by the return of their waiter. He watched silently as the still grinning creep set down their food and walked off. Shaking his head, he turned back to his fiance and started again. "Kurt, just talk to me. It'll be okay."

Nodding, Kurt took a shaky breath and tightened his fingers around Dave's. "You remember when you proposed to me? How you told me you loved me and wanted to be with me forever, even if we never told anyone?"

Dave tilted his head in agreement. Due to the history between him and Kurt, they had decided not to tell anyone when they got together. They dated for nearly a year before Dave decided he wanted Kurt forever, regardless of how many people knew, and he proposed. But then. . .

"But I decided that since we were getting married, we should go ahead and tell people. What's better than having all your old friends at your wedding, right?" Kurt shook his head. "That was stupid. I knew deep down how everyone was going to react but I told them anyway because I was hoping someone would be happy for us. I thought that since I hardly ever saw most of these people, they wouldn't really care. But you know they did."

"I know," Dave agreed. He remembered the early days of their engagement when their phones rang all the time with numbers they barely even recognized anymore. Friends from high school, people whose names were only vague memories, took the time to call just to give their objections to the marriage. Hell, Rachel herself even made a special trip to Chicago just for the chance to protest at their door. The few people that had supported them included only Kurt's dad, his stepmother, Finn, and Dave's parents. Dave frowned.

"You know," Kurt repeated softly, staring intently at their entwined hands. "But you only know what they've done or said in front of you. You don't know that for the past six weeks, Rachel's been leaving voicemails on my phone and messages at the office about-" He cut off suddenly, his voice week with sadness.

Rubbing his thumb over the back of Kurt's hand, Dave watched as the other man shivered and seemingly pulled strength from their light connection. "About what? Tell me, Kurt."

Instead of looking at Dave, Kurt kept his gaze down and locked on their hands. "About how you could never really want to marry me. At least, not for love. The only reason you would possibly ever marry me is to humiliate me or so you could have me as your slave or whatever."

"Really?" Dave said flippantly, trying to lighten the mood at least a little. "Not even just for sex?"

Kurt lost what little color was still left in his face and closed his eyes in pain. "No," he choked out. "Why would you possibly marry me for sex when you're not gay?"

"Um," Dave blinked slowly. "Kurt, baby, I'm pretty sure you know for a fact that I am gay."

Shaking his head, Kurt pulled his hand out from under Dave's and picked up his fork to eat, prompting Dave to follow his lead. "You're not because you weren't in high school. And if you think you are now it's just because of something I must have done and wouldn't I feel better if I just admitted it and ended this whole charade?"

"Charade? Kurt, please tell me Rachel never said that!"

"She did," the younger man confirmed. "She said all of it and much more. Multiple times."

"No," Dave denied, his knuckles turning white from the tight grip he had on his chopsticks. "She wouldn't because she is nice."

Kurt let out a harsh, sharp laugh that caused a few of the other diners to look at him in alarm. "Yes, she did, David. Because Rachel Berry is not nice and she never has been. If she was nice, she wouldn't tell me that I should be thankful you're not gay that way I'd never feel the crushing disappointment of you refusing to sleep with me because I'm not attractive."

A loud, wet thunk made Kurt lift his head and he stared at Dave frantically trying to mop up water from where he dropped his glass.

"Not attractive?!" Dave spit out, gazing at Kurt in a strange mix of questioning and anger. "Kurt, please tell me you don't believe that."

Kurt shrugged. "I wouldn't if she was the only, or even just the first, person to tell me that. But she's not. I'm not attractive, David. I'm predatory, my 'sexy faces' look like I have gas pains, I have a 'hard luck case of the gay-face', and the only way I could look any more like a girl would be if I showed of the vagina that I must have as no real man with a dick would wear the clothes I do."

"I don't know where that last one came from," Dave admitted in a quiet, angry voice. "But I have a good idea of who said the other ones."

"It's not a big deal," Kurt said, waving his hand dismissively.

"Yes, it is, Kurt. You're not predatory; you were a fifteen year old with a crush on the quarterback. You weren't the only one. Finn just wanted you to be careful with Sam; he didn't mean to hurt you," Dave reclaimed Kurt's hands with his own and held onto them gently. "Blaine doesn't know sexy. How could he when he walks around dressed like a blind geriatric? And you know that insults are the only way Sebastian knows how to communicate."

"So?"

"So?" Dave repeated. "So I'm the one marrying you, Kurt. I mean, I would anyway because I love you and you're just that awesome but your sexiness is a definite perk. Say it. Say 'I'm sexy.'"

"I'm sexy," Kurt reiterated dryly.

Even though sarcasm dripped off his husband-to-be's voice like acid, Dave still couldn't hold back a shiver at Kurt's words. Well, it had been a while. . .

"You're damn right you are," Dave affirmed, voice dropping low. He watched as Kurt's eyes widened in surprise and pleasure. On a whim, he decided to push his luck. "You are so sexy, Kurt. Don't you know that? Don't you know how much you turn me on?"

"David!" Kurt hissed, color bursting across his cheeks. He tried to pull his hands away but Dave held tightly and began to caress them softly as he continued to speak.

"Mm, like right now," He growled quietly. "Looking at you all flushed and embarrassed. It's exciting."

"David, please," Kurt whispered, his throat suddenly very dry. He hadn't heard David speak to him like this in weeks. And he was right- it was exciting.

"Please what, baby?" Dave prompted, sweetness coating the arousal that was running through his voice.

"S-stop!" Kurt gasped, his fingers tingling from Dave's light touches. His hands had always been more sensitive than normal and Dave had always taken advantage of that when he could. Apparently that included manipulating him in a crowded restaurant after weeks of no touching.

Dave shook his head, hazel eyes glinting wickedly. He tangled his thick, square fingers with Kurt's thin, slim ones and pushed his thumbs into Kurt's palms, rubbing gently.

"Daaavid," Kurt moaned quietly, shifting uncomfortably on the hard plastic seat. Despite the discomfort in his legs, all he could focus on was the sharp jolts of hot pleasure going straight from his fingertips to his cock. Little tremors shook his hands where they where trapped in Dave's grip.

"Mm, baby," Dave whispered hotly as he leaned forward and stared into Kurt's eyes. "You look so good falling apart in front of me. It's been so long- I'd almost forgotten."

He brought Kurt's left hand- for some reason the more sensitive one- up to his mouth and slowly kissed to tip of each finger. He was careful, of course, making sure that each kiss was short and sweet and that there was no chance of his tongue accidentally slipping out and running over each ridge of Kurt's arched fingerprints.

"P-please. Please, David. I can't handle much more of this," Kurt confessed quietly as he tried once again to pull his hands away from David. This time, however, he was successful.

"Alright," Dave sighed regretfully before sitting back in the booth and staring at Kurt happily.

The other man was busy carefully laying his hands on the table in such a way that they wouldn't be stimulated. Taking deep breaths, Kurt tried to calm down but was finding it difficult since Dave was still staring at him intently. "You can't do that."

"Do what?" Dave asked innocently.

Flushing hotly again, Kurt leaned forward and hissed, "That."

"Honestly, Kurt, I don't know what you're talking about. What can I not do?"

Kurt grit his teeth in annoyance and residual arousal before giving up. "You can't molest my hands with the intention of making me come in my pants!" he whispered furiously, his ears continuously reddening as he spoke. "Especially in a public place!"

"Oh, is that what I was doing?" Dave looked at Kurt through his lashes. "Well, just to be clear, your objections are to the coming in your pants and being in public?"

"Yes, of course."

Suddenly, Dave leaned over the table, getting as close to Kurt as possible. His eyes flashed with lust as he said, "Then how about we go home and get you naked?"

Kurt jumped up from the table and glared as he pulled out his wallet and tossed some cash down. He wasn't sure how much it was and he didn't particularly care at this moment.

"What're you doing?" Dave queried in alarm.

"We are leaving," Kurt answered, pulling the other man up and leading him to the door. "Now!"

Laughing, Dave followed Kurt out the door, a smug sort of grin spreading across his face. Both men were so focused that they didn't take a second glance at the waiter, who was standing by the exit still smiling.

"Good luck to you both, Kurt Hummel and Dave Karofsky," the worker murmured quietly, watching the couple leave in a haze of refreshed happiness and arousal. "May you have more luck the second time."

***

Soft thumps and light thuds echoed around the nearly bare apartment. Every time Kurt stumbled over Dave's slow-moving form or Dave couldn't help himself and pressed Kurt up against the wall, another quiet sound vibrated across the still air. It was like touching your tongue to a battery, the sharp shaking that crackled across the air between the two men. At the moment, Dave was pressing Kurt into the wall by their bedroom door with his hands on the smaller man's hips and his mouth on his neck yet it felt as if every inch of their bodies were pressed together, touching.

Kurt whimpered, arching into Dave's strong body. "David," he gasped, tugging on short, curly hair to make sure the other man was listening. When he heard a deep, manly grunt, he continued. "I'm so happy- so so happy that you're not going to leave me."

"Never," Dave promised, pressing hot kisses up Kurt's long, pale neck. "Never leave you. Too perfect, too special."

Sudden tears sprang to Kurt's eyes. Giddiness washed over him overwhelmingly as he breathed out a soft, "I love you, David."

Dave kissed Kurt's cheek tenderly before pulling back to look into his fiance's gorgeous eyes. "God, Kurt, I love you, too. So much, baby."

And they kissed.

Finally.

Soft, thin lips pressing against rougher, fuller lips; slick tongues sliding against each other. Kurt tensed in uncertainty as he was overwhelmed by the feeling of suddenly being very small. Foreign yet familiar callused hands grasped his face roughly and the kiss took a turn into too harsh.

He jerked back to ask just what the Hell Dave thought he was doing but stopped abruptly at the sight in front of him.

"David?!" Kurt squeaked out, tiny hands raising to cover his own mouth to keep the high, clear voice he hadn't used in almost a decade from making another sound.

Dave stared in astonishment before lifting his own hands to feel his face. He winced in discomfort and surprise as they grazed over the soft, rounded cheeks of his sixteen year old body.

Just like the last time they where in this locker room together, Dave let out a tortured whimper before slamming his fists into a locker and then storming out. And just like last time, Kurt stared- in shock and no small amount of fear- at the spot Dave had been standing just moments before.

"David. . ."


	2. Chapter 2

In a trance-like state of shock and fear, Kurt made his way to the choir room, vaguely remembering he'd had glee practice after Dave had kissed him in the locker room the first time. Beyond that, he really didn't know what to do. What did people do after being sent back in time to their younger bodies with their fiance who ran off shortly after discovering the situation? Maybe if Kurt was lucky, he'd find some sort of support group or something. Looking up from the intense glare he'd been giving his feet, he realized that only Puck and Sam were in the choir room. Not wanting to disturb them, Kurt quietly walked in and up the risers, hoping his seat at the back would be enough to get people to leave him alone. No such luck, however.

"Dude, what are you doing here?" Puck's surprised voice snapped across the room.

Kurt turned his head to look at the two jocks, trying to stop the heavy pounding of his heart. Did Puck know? And if he did, how? "Glee practice," he said shortly, thankfully in a monotone and not a squeak like he was fearing.

Puck rolled his eyes. "Well, yeah. You just usually walk in with Aretha. So, where is your sassy black friend?"

Forcing his memory, Kurt tried to remember where Mercedes would be this time of day but he couldn't. Oh God, he didn't know where Mercedes was. Was it just coincidence or was it the first in a long line of slip ups? Would people notice? What if they figured it out?

Eyes burning with sudden tears attempting to fall, Kurt stared at Puck in fear. "I-I don't-" he choked. He started to shake and finally gave up the fight, dropping his head in his hands and starting to cry.

"Oh my God, Kurt?!"

Sam's voice, full of worry and surprise, only caused Kurt to cry even harder.

"Dude!" -the soft thud of someone being punched in the arm reached Kurt's ears- "Stop making him cry!"

"Me?!" -another thud- "You started it! Fix it!"

There was a rough shuffling noise and before he knew it, there was a large, warm hand on each of his shoulders. The left one, however, was resting in such a way that Kurt knew both Puck and Sam were trying to comfort him. He'd know Puck's hands any time, years of dumpster tosses burning the feeling into his arms and ribcage. Sam's hand he knew -would know?- from the multiple 'bro slaps' Sam gave -would give?- him when they had lived -would live?- together. He was thankful that these two jocks were the ones to catch him break down. Out of all the glee club members, Kurt trusted these two the most.

"Kurt, man, please stop crying," Puck pleaded, his voice tight. The hand on his right shoulder started rubbing him tentatively.

"God, Puck!" Sam burst out, obviously hitting Puck again. "Quit being so insensitive! Kurt, what's wrong?"

Lifting his head, Kurt looked up at Puck, grabbed his free hand, and did the same with Sam. He entwined his fingers with theirs, holding their hands in his lap. Staring down at the mass of appendages, he didn't notice as the two jocks exchanged a worried glance at Kurt's willingness to touch them before sitting down in the chairs on either side of the smaller teen.

"I'm having a really rough day," Kurt admitted, squeezing their hands tightly and smiling weakly when they immediately squeezed back. "You guys are really great for doing this, though. This is almost exactly what I needed."

He saw Puck smile weakly in accomplishment but Sam was a lot more observant.

"Almost?" Sam questioned fiercely. "Why only almost?"

Making a split second decision, Kurt chose to be nearly absolutely honest with the two boys that were comforting about.

"Having my boyfriend with me would be perfect," he admitted, halfway expecting the hands to pull away. Somewhat surprisingly, they didn't. There was still a little bit of a jerk from surprise, however.

"Dude!" Puck grinned at him with something that Kurt was almost sure was pride. "Congrats!"

Sam nodded, a goofy smile stretched across his face as well. "Yeah! Was it that prep school kid you were having coffee with the other day?"

"Wait, what?" Kurt shook his head, confused.

Puck's jaw dropped. "That was supposed to be a recon mission! You weren't supposed to hook up with one of those Gargler boys, dude!"

"Okay, first, stop calling me dude," Kurt snapped, now aware of who exactly Sam had been talking about. "Second, I'm not dating Blaine. He and his friends were just nice enough to get me coffee rather than kill me when they found me spying."

"Chill, princess," Puck rolled his eyes, readily prepared for Kurt's ice queen impression. "If it wasn't one of those Deep-throat Academy boys, who is it?"

Kurt shook his head, both at the question and at Puck's new nickname for him. "I can't tell you that."

"Is he. . ." Sam trailed off before making a vague motion with his head. Puck stared at him strangely in response.

"He's gay," Kurt confirmed, amused at the other boys' actions.

"Then why can't you tell us?" Sam asked reasonably.

"He's not out of the closet. No one knows he's gay except for me. Not even his parents," Kurt hesitated shortly, but pushed on with the rest. "And. . .I think we just broke up."

His comforters stared at him, obviously wanting to ask a million and one questions. They were shut down, however, by the arrival of the rest of the glee club. Once again, Kurt expected them to pull their hands away and, once again, he was surprised. They held on firmly, not letting anything take away Kurt's source of mediocre comfort. They now knew it wasn't what he really wanted or needed but, for now, they were all he had.

"Kurt?" Mercedes stared at him incredulously. "Why are you holding hands with Puck?"

"And Sam?" Quinn butt in, glaring fiercely.

Puck and Sam looked at each other, then at Kurt who was suddenly pale and shaking slightly, and then again at each other.

"Well," Puck drawled slowly, flicking his tongue across his lips. "Have you ever noticed just how hot Kurt is?"

Kurt tensed and slowly turned his head to look straight at the mohawked jock. 'What is he doing?' Kurt wondered. He whipped his head to the other side when he noticed Sam was nodding along in agreement. 'What is he doing?!'

"Definitely," Sam spoke up, giving everyone -including Quinn- an unconcerned shrug. "And he's just so sweet."

"Basically perfect," Puck continued, giving Kurt a wink. "We know we're not good enough for Kurt, perfection that he is, but-"

"We just can't let him go," Sam finished, tightening the hand he had on Kurt's shoulder.

Everyone had a different feeling about this, Kurt noticed. Quinn was obviously pissed, Mercedes actually looked happy for him but ultimately disinterested, Tina had that 'this is so hot' look on her face, Mike had his eyebrows raised in surprise, Brittany and Finn just looked confused, Santana was smirking, Artie was giving him a thumbs up, and Rachel was glaring fiercely. And then they all started talking.

"This is insane," Kurt murmured, uncomfortable with everything that had happened today. All he wanted was Dave. He just wanted to be with Dave in their Chicago apartment, tangled together on their bed. It hurt that he couldn't have that now. It hurt even more when he realized that he hadn't had that for weeks even before the 'traveling'.

"This is deflecting," Sam corrected, rubbing a soothing thumb over the back of Kurt's hand and motioning his head to where the other gleeks were dispersing and quieting down.

"Oh, thanks," Kurt spit out sarcastically, his face tight and flushed. "How will I ever repay you?"

"You're going to tell us all about your boyfriend, princess," Puck replied. "And then we're going to help you get him back."

They removed their hands from his shoulders and gave each other a fist bump, complete with sound effects.

"Oh my Gaga," Kurt groaned, pleasure and dread filling him all at once. How was this his life? "This is insane."

***

Dave ran out of the locker room, trying to get away from Kurt as fast as possible. He was worried for his fiance and how the smaller man would handle this shocking turn of events and of course he was concerned with how it happened but right now?

Right now all he could truly feel was shame. He'd tried so hard to better himself, body and mind, in the years between his high school suicide attempt and seeing Kurt in college. Yet now here he was- stuck in the worst years of his life. He was once again a chubby, closeted bully who sweat too much and would be bald by the time he was thirty. There was no way Kurt would be with him in the here and now.

At the thought of his beautiful fiance, Dave shuddered in disgust at himself. What was he going to do? He remembered the look that had been on Kurt's face when the younger man had been slumped against the wall, panting in pleasure, and he remembered the look on his face from just an hour ago in the locker room. They had been nothing alike.

Luckily, Dave had finally reached his house. His empty house since his parents were thankfully still at work. That meant there was no one there to snap at him when he slammed not only the front door but also his bedroom door in frustration.

He threw his backpack and gym bag to the floor and lurched onto the bed, covering his face with a pillow. Just because no one else was there to hear him scream didn't mean he wanted to hear himself. It only reminded him of how weak he was. Thrust into his younger body, it seemed like he'd been handed all the feelings he'd had then also. All he wanted was to curl around Kurt's small body and pretend the world didn't exist.

A thud and shuffling from downstairs ripped him out of his sulk. It sounded like his mom had made it home from the agency early.

"Davey!"

He was right. Sighing heavily, Dave pulled himself up and headed down the stairs. When he reached the bottom, he rubbed his cheeks tiredly and called out for his mom. "Yeah, I'm here."

His mom came out of the kitchen, wringing her hands fretfully. A pang of guilt shot through Dave as he took in her tense, tired appearance. He knew for a fact that his dad wouldn't look much better when he got home. He also knew that it was all his fault.

Because when he'd been struggling with being gay and in the closet and terrorizing Kurt even though he knew it was wrong, his parents had been watching their precious little boy, their pride and joy, turn into a monster. They hadn't known how to handle the loud, angry bully that had replaced their straight A cub scout when this had all happened the first time. So they had worried and stressed but not said anything. Not until Dave had been expelled and then again when he'd tried to kill himself.

"H-how was school today?" his mom asked hesitantly, perching on the arm of the couch. She tightened her fingers around each other and dropped them in her lap, looking up at Dave with concerned green eyes.

Dave shrugged uncomfortably. He wanted to fix this thing with his parents but today had been. . .weird. "It was, um," he shuffled to the chair next to the couch and sank down into it tiredly. Closing his eyes tight, he choked out the truth as quick as he could. "It was really, really rough. Mom. . ."

He opened his eyes to see her staring at him in surprise. However, as soon as she noticed him looking, the motherly 'take care of it' mask fell on her face. "Dave," she started, her voice soft but strong. "What's going on with you lately?"

"I don't want to talk about it," Dave answered quietly, catching her shoulders drop minutely in defeat. "But I need to. It's really important."

"I'm listening," she nodded encouragingly when she noticed he wasn't shutting her out again. "Go on."

Shifting uncomfortably, Dave took in a shaky breath and pleaded, "Can it wait until Dad gets home? It's really difficult for me to talk about, so I'd like to only do it once."

"I'm here," a deep voice came from the doorway. Dave whipped his head around to stare at his dad, Paul Karofsky, who was leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed. A carefully blank expression was fixed on the older man's face but Dave could see that his hazel eyes, Dave's eyes, were nothing but warm and loving.

"We're here for you, son," Paul spoke again, stepping forward and laying his hand on his son's shoulder. "Your mother and I love you but we've been concerned with your behavior these last few weeks. If you want to tell us what's been going on, we'll listen."

"Dad," Dave choked out, tears filling his eyes and threatening to fall. All the painful emotions he'd felt when he came out the first time were suffocating him again.

The older man hushed him, squeezing his shoulder soothingly. "It's okay, David. Take your time."

Dave nodded and wrapped his arms around his chest. "It might take a while, so if you guys could just bear with me? It's really hard for me to say this."

Both of his parents nodded encouragingly and gave him weak smiles. The guilt Dave felt at seeing how tired they looked nearly overwhelmed the hot shame that came when he thought about how he'd been acting.

"You know that I've been angrier lately," Dave spoke slowly, recalling the disappointed lecture his dad had given him in Principal Figgins's office all those years ago -a few weeks from now?- and based his explanation around that. "My grades keep dropping, I've been talking back, and now we're sitting here. But that's at home. You don't know how I've been at school."

His mom leaned forward and placed her hand on top of Dave's knee. "David, honey, we know about the slushies."

His dad shook his head warily, "No, Kristy, this is something else."

"Dad's right," Dave said brokenly. "Those slushies are just hazing. What I've been doing is violent. Throwing kids in dumpsters, slamming them into lockers. . .I even punched this reporter loser for the paper in his face. All for no reason."

His parents were silent. Because he had his head bowed, he couldn't see them exchanging looks above him. He wasn't aware of anything until the tiny hand on his knee tightened.

"I'm sure there was a reason," Kristy said gently. "It's not an excuse by any means but there is definitely something prompting you to act this way."

Paul spoke up, his voice firm and unrelenting. "Your mother's right, David. What happened?"

"It's not what happened. It's what has been happening. All of it was just getting so stressful, all the secrets," Dave confessed. Ignoring the looks on his parents' faces, he pushed on, seemingly changing the subject completely. "You know I've never had a girlfriend. There's never been any girl I've talked about, none I've ever kissed or even been seen with. There's plenty that are pretty, but none that I'm attracted to."

Kristy broke in, quiet and hesitant. "David, is this going where I think it is?"

All the stress from the past few months with Kurt, the shock from 'traveling', the residual fear from the first time he came out to his parents- it all collapsed on him and he dropped his head tiredly into his hands. "I'm gay."

"Oh, David!"

Two pairs of arms were quick to wrap around him tightly, one hand carding through his hair, one heavy on the back of his neck, and another rubbing across his back.

His father's gruff voice was uncharacteristically soft and gentle as he asked, "Are you sure about this?"

Dave nodded once.

"Then we support you," Paul replied, still quiet. "You are our son and we love you, no matter who you love."

Tensing involuntarily and forcing himself to relax quickly, Dave prayed his parents hadn't noticed. 'No such luck,' he thought miserably, feeling cold and lost when their loving embraces pulled away.

Kristy grasped his face carefully and pulled his head up so he was looking right at her. Her green eyes were sparkling with a cautious hope. "Is there someone special in your life, David? You mentioned secrets earlier; is that why you're finally telling us this?"

Dave nodded, then paused before shaking his head. Another pause and he shrugged, looking lost.

"That's helpful," Paul said dryly, crossing his arms and quirking an eyebrow as a request for an explanation.

A light blush broke out across Dave's cheeks. "There was," he said quietly, his voice throbbing with confusion, sadness, hopelessness, and love. "Is maybe? I don't know if we're still together because what's been going on lately."

His dad nodded in understanding but when Dave turned to his mom her face was the very picture of scandalized. "Mom?"

"You've been dating this boy?!" she asked loudly. "And now is when you're telling us?! After it might possibly be over? I've missed out on all the good stuff!"

Dave laughed happily, the tension of the night finally easing out of him. "Good stuff?"

A thin hand waved dismissively as Kristy bounced in place. "Forget it! Tell me all about him!"

Smiling softly, the way he always did when someone asked him to talk about Kurt, Dave nodded and said, "His name is Kurt and he's amazing. He loves fashion, Broadway, ice skating, and giving makeovers. He's got the sharpest tongue I've ever heard and the kindest smile I've ever seen. He's always been a health nut, but has gotten a little extreme since his dad's heart attack. That doesn't stop him from trying to drown himself in egg drop soup when he breaks down and orders Chinese, though. His favorite musical is The Sound of Music and he wears the same perfume his mom did when she was alive. His dad is dating a women who he might marry and her son could become Kurt's stepbrother which is uncomfortable because Kurt used to have a crush on him and the guy called him a fag. Kurt would do anything for the people he loves, even joining the football team and pretending to be straight so his dad would be proud of him."

Paul and Kristy stared at each other, eyes wide in amazement as they took in Dave's words and the clear love that threaded through them. Kristy was the first to speak, a loving smile stretching her mouth far beyond what it had become accustomed to after the past few weeks.

"He sounds wonderful," she said, her voice gentle and encouraging.

"He is," Dave said earnestly. "He's so brave and passionate. Kind of a contradiction, though."

"What do you mean?" Paul prodded. Hey, it was his son's first boyfriend! He wanted answers!

Grinning with a heavy blush, Dave went on some more about Kurt. "He's never been afraid of doing what he wants and being who he is. Not for himself, but sometimes for his family. He'll wear the most ridiculously high class outfits just because he can but sometimes he wears them like armor, trying to protect himself and his family, by extension. Most days, his fancy clothes remind him that he's better than Lima, that there are places out in the world where people aren't out to hurt him. The only place he has like that around here is his house. Because of that, it's not unusual to see him lazing around in sweatpants there."

Dave stopped, frowning darkly. "At least, it wasn't, before his dad got cozy with Mrs. Hudson."

"Wait, wait!" Paul cut in, shaking his head and holding his hands up. "Hudson? As in Carole Hudson? Mother of Finn Hudson?"

"Ye-es?" Dave replied slowly, confused.

"So this Kurt you're talking about," Paul glared at his son fiercely. "Would it happen to be Burt Hummel's son, Kurt Hummel?"

Kristy gasped in recognition, a tiny hand lifting to cover her open mouth. "Oh, Davey!"

"Uh, yes," Dave answered. "It is Kurt Hummel, why?"

Pointing a thick finger at his son, Paul spoke angrily through clenched teeth. "You cannot date Kurt Hummel. Absolutely not!"

"What?! Dad! I thought you were okay with me being gay!"

"I am," Paul said quickly, realizing where Dave though he was going. "I am absolutely okay with that. What I am not okay with is you dating a boy that you and your ignorant friends terrorized all through middle school. It's not happening, David Michael."

Kristy nodded in agreement. "The whole town knows that Kurt has been through Hell, Davey. He doesn't need you to remind him of it all every day."

Dave didn't know whether to relax in relief or tense in frustration. He was glad that his parents like Kurt well enough to look out for him like this but knowing that they doubted him kind of hurt. "You guys! We talked about this before we started dating! It was hard there for a while but we finally got together and, I'm sorry, but I'm not letting him go. I really. . .care about him."

Pursing her lips in thought, Kristy narrowed her eyes and scrutinized him considerably. After a while -maybe minutes but seemed like an eternity to Dave who's entire world was on the line- she looked up at Paul and nodded grudgingly. Paul sighed in defeat, shaking his head.

"Alright, son," he conceded. "If you and Kurt are still together, then you can keep dating him. On one condition."

"Anything," Dave burst out quickly.

Paul stared at him, his whole stance stiff and serious. "You have to tell his father yourself."

All the happiness in the world couldn't pick Dave's heart up from the bottom of his stomach where it had dropped like a stone. The only times he'd ever even seen Burt Hummel was under bad circumstances and the man was terrifying.

"Did I say anything?" Dave tried to recant weakly. "I meant anything but that."

His parents tried to hide their laughter as they shook their heads.

"No, Davey," his mother said, backing up his father in their twisted, sadistic game. "You have to be the one to tell Burt Hummel that you're dating his son."

Whimpering quietly, he tried not to notice when his parents finally lost it and burst into loud belly laughs. 'What am I going to do? I'm dead.'


	3. Chapter 3

"I feel like I'm dying," Kurt admitted quietly from his place on the couch. He ignored the two boys that were curled up on his bed, speaking only to get it out. "It's like my heart, always missing a piece yet finally managing to become whole, has been ripped apart all over again. For one time too many."

Puck broke away from where he had been pulling and stretching Sam's ginormous lips and stared at the boy across the room. "Is it really that bad?" he asked quietly.

"No."

The jocks let out twin sighs of relief but tensed once more as Kurt kept talking.

"It's worse."

Hesitating, Sam finally rolled over to lay his arms over Puck's back, propping up his head and digging his elbows into muscle in revenge for the stretched, tingling feeling that wouldn't leave his mouth. "Do you want to talk about him?" Sam questioned, secretly eager to hear all he could about Kurt's boyfriend. Maybe he'd be able to figure out who the secret suitor was.

"Yeah, we'll listen," Puck agreed, just as eager as Sam. He winced when he tried to sit up in anticipation and Sam just dug his elbows in harder. "You gotta be dying to tell someone."

Kurt exhaled slowly, anxiety shaking his lungs like a dry, persistent cough. Even though he was nervous, Puck was right. He _did_ want to talk about Dave and if they were as broken up as Kurt feared, what would be the harm in letting out a few details? It's not like anyone would know who he was talking about. No one would believe Dave was gay in this time. A sharp pain of sadness stabbed through Kurt when he remembered that no one had believed it in their original time either.

"Do you really want to know?" he asked, a sudden fire of secret telling burning inside him hotly.

The other two boys nodded quickly, staring at Kurt in excited anticipation. "Yes," they chorused. Kurt was their boy and even though most of New Directions seemed to only pay attention to him when they needed something from him, the two jocks didn't follow with that. Kurt had been the only person that had stood by them unconditionally- admittedly in completely different circumstances but still.

"Alright," Kurt conceded, trying to rein in his excitement. He could, and probably would now that he had permission, talk about Dave all day. "What do you want to know first?"

"Besides his name?" Puck joked.

Sam flicked him in the ear, glaring when Puck twisted his head around indignantly, before turning back to Kurt. "Anything you want to tell us," the blonde assured him.

Kurt smiled at the two boys sweetly, some of the stress he'd been feeling _finally_ lifting. "Well, first of all, he's a jock."

The boys blinked.

"What does he play?" Puck asked, already mentally listing the names of all the jocks, along with the sports they played, at school.

Shaking his head, Sam folded his arms and laid down. "No," he said. "You're jumping ahead. Does he go to McKinley?"

Hesitating only for a moment. Kurt nodded.

"Okay," Sam smiled. "Now what does he play?"

Puck grumbled and sat up roughly, knocking Sam off his back and to the side. "Get off me. I bet he plays football."

Sam pouted at the rough treatment and stared up at Puck, his shaggy blonde hair fanning out on the sheets below him. When he saw that Puck wasn't giving in, he rolled his eyes and sat up next to the mohawked boy. "What makes you say that?"

"Because the princess would go for the best," Puck explained, his tone making it sound obvious. "And even though we usually lose, the football team is at the top of the totem pole at McKinley."

"True," Sam conceded, turning to face Kurt. "So he does play football?"

Kurt nodded, biting his lip to keep the grin from spreading across his face. "He does."

While Puck was fist pumping and basically congratulating himself on a great guess, Sam was being the more observant one again and was narrowing his eyes in contemplation. Kurt waited, amused.

"Wait," Sam finally said, shaking his head and knocking Puck out of his victory haze. "He might _play_ football, but that's not what he's _known_ for. It's not what he's good at."

"He's perfectly fine at football, thank you," Kurt snapped lightly, his nose in the air. He was neither confirming nor denying Sam's words, wanting to see if the other boy would keep pushing. "One of the best, actually."

Now both Sam and Puck had their thinking faces on, staring at Kurt thoughtfully. "It's not football," Sam denied again, confident.

"It's hockey," Puck replied, just as confident as Sam. When he got matching looks of wonder, he shrugged. "Like I said, Kurt's so much of a perfectionist, he'd go for the top dogs in jockdom. Hockey's a step down from football on the McKinley social ladder, _but_ they actually tend to win their games. This guy plays hockey _and_ football?"

Kurt nodded again, only slightly surprised at Puck's detective skills. There was certainly some kind of brain hiding under that ridiculous haircut.

Puck whistled lowly, grudgingly impressed. "And he's good at both?"

A sweet smile flickered across Kurt's face. "He's _definitely_ good at both. Like I said, he's one of the best on the football team, but on the hockey team? _The_ best."

"It's times like these I wish I paid attention to hockey," Sam muttered, frowning.

Giving him a strange look, Puck curiously asked, "How many times like this you been in, Evans?"

"Just this one," Sam admitted. He pouted again. "But still. If I did pay attention, we'd already know who it is."

Puck shrugged and shot Kurt a carefree grin. "I dunno, man. I kinda like this game."

Kurt rolled his eyes at Puck's attitude. "What else do you want to know?"

The jocks looked at each other, questions in their eyes, before nodding and turning back to Kurt. "Is that all he does? You know, athletically?"

"At school," Kurt replied, grinning. "He does some kickboxing at the rec center downtown. I'm not sure how good he is because that's obviously never been my scene but I know that he's won a few championships in Columbus and one in Indianapolis."

"Jesus," Puck blurted in shock. "Where did you find this guy?"

"We've already been through this, Puck," Kurt said slowly as if explaining to a child. "At McKinley."

Sam snickered quietly, only stopping when Puck pushed him off the bed and onto the floor. Using his signature move, he pouted and said, "Harsh, man. Way harsh."

Puck shrugged. "Next time, try keeping your overly large trap shut."

"Puck!" Kurt scolded, giving him an icy glare. "Chill."

" _Fine_ ," he breathed.

Sitting up and leaning against the bed, Sam looked over at Kurt. "What can he do that's not athletic?"

"Not much," Kurt admitted, his voice shaking from suppressed laughter. He loved Dave, he really did, but the man just had _so much_ energy and was always _doing_ things. "I mean, sometimes he goes paintballing with his friends on the weekends. They're very competitive. He does play an insane amount of video games, though."

Humming in thought for a while, Sam finally came out with it as he was breaking from the pressure of Kurt's curious stare. "Honestly, Kurt," he said quietly. "He doesn't sound much like your type."

"Dude!" Puck stared down at the other jock. " _Harsh._ "

Kurt sat up quickly with a glare, leaning forward seriously. When he spoke, it was with a steady, quiet tone. "I can only assume you're saying that because he's a jock and a gamer. Obviously, you're not aware that I was the McKinley Titans' star kicker last year and I'm currently on the Cheerios. And I'm pretty sure you didn't know that I just so happen to kick some _serious_ ass at Rock Band, Guitar Hero, and Call of Duty."

Sensing that the smaller boy was about to go major bitch fit on the blonde haired, wide mouthed football player, Puck cut in quickly. "I noticed you didn't mention the paintballing," he joked, shooting Sam a disapproving glare that was unnoticed by Kurt. "That not your thing, princess?"

Realizing what Puck was up to, Kurt decided to go with it, just this once. He wrinkled his nose and shook his head.

"Definitely not," he agreed. "Then again, theatre and musicals aren't really D- _his_ thing so we compromise."

Sam was shocked out of his guilt by Kurt's near slip. He was sure that the boy was about to let out the name of his boyfriend. They'd almost had it! He caught Puck's eye and frowned when the other boy shook his head, as if somehow knowing that Sam was planning a quick end to what was becoming Puck's favorite game.

Turning away from Sam's eager eyes, Puck cleared his throat and asked, "What about school?"

"What about it?"

"How does he do in school," Sam clarified, seeing the direction Puck was taking the conversation. "You said he was good at sports, what about academics?"

Kurt shifted, a proud look in his eyes. "He's brilliant. We share advanced placement English and History, but he's in Calculus instead of Trigonometry. I think he does pretty well in third year Spanish but I'm in French so I can't really say."

" _Calculus?!_ " Puck yelped. "Only the nerdiest of all nerds take that!"

"And in their senior year," Sam agreed. A strange expression crossed his face. "Kurt! Are you dating an older man?!"

Laughing so hard he nearly fell off the couch, Kurt shook his head. "No, he's a junior."

"Whoa," Puck breathed. He dropped to the floor and crawled across the room to the couch, kneeling like a small child in front of Kurt. "Is he. . ."

Quirking an eyebrow, Kurt watched as Sam followed Puck and there were suddenly two sets of overeager eyes awaiting an answer to a question he'd not yet heard.

"What?" Kurt inquired curiously. What could possibly have these two so wound up?

"How hot is he?" the two boys asked in unison, eyes wide.

A soft, breathy sigh escaped Kurt and he flushed darkly. How attractive was Dave? God, extremely so. Those arms with all that powerful muscle cording beneath the skin, that chest that was wide and warm and always prepared to have Kurt lean against it, those legs that held so much strength Dave could stand with Kurt locked around his waist for hours- Kurt blushed heavier just thinking about it. When April Rhodes had given him those muscle magazines, he thought it would always be a fantasy and nothing more. He'd never expected to find a man like Dave.

"So hot," he finally answered, not wanting to give too much detail in case it freaked the two jocks out somehow.

The other two boys groaned and flopped back onto the carpet.

"It's not fair," Sam whined.

"What's not fair?" Kurt asked, his voice betraying how puzzled he was by their behavior.

Sam whined again. "Great at sports, super smart, considers your feelings, _and_ totally hot? Kurt, I don't know if you've realized this yet or not, but you're dating the undiscovered duke stud of McKinley!"

Puck started to nod along in agreement but stopped abruptly, shooting up to stare at Sam in shock. "Wait! What did you just say?" When Sam looked at him strangely, he rolled his eyes. "You just called Kurt's boyfriend _duke stud of McKinley_."

"Yeah, I've heard someone say it before," the blonde shrugged, then stopping just as suddenly as Puck had. "Oh. _Oh_."

"Exactly," Puck nodded as he realized that Sam had come to the same conclusion he had.

"Whaaat?" Kurt drawled out slowly, staring at the two at them with raised eyebrows.

They looked at Kurt, looked at each other, and looked back at him. Twin grins stretched across as their mouths as they said, "You're dating Dave Karofksy."

Kurt's face flushed a dark crimson, heat prickling across his cheeks. Burying his face in his hands, he moaned in embarrassment and relief before taking a deep breath and getting a hold of himself. He lifted his head and shrugged. "We were? I don't know if we still are; it's complicated."

"How long have you guys been together?" Puck asked, voice curious.

"Long enough."

Sam's eyes narrowed like they always did when his mind locked on to something not quite right. "Long enough for what?"

Making a split second decision, Kurt inhaled shakily and said, "Long enough for us to be engaged."

There was a loud, pregnant pause and then a phone was shoved into his hand roughly. He glanced up to see two uncharacteristically serious faces staring at him.

"Call him," Sam said simply.

"Now," Puck followed up forcefully.

Kurt stared up at the two boys for a moment longer, then dropped his gaze down to the phone. Shaking, he tapped in a number he knew by heart and carefully lifted the phone up to his ear. It was ringing.


	4. Chapter 4

_One missed call._

Dave stared at the screen of his phone disbelievingly. He had a missed call and he knew exactly who it was from, even if his phone didn't recognize the number. Why was Kurt calling him? A wave of dread fell over him thickly. Was he calling to break up with him?

He slid a trembling finger across the screen and lifted the phone to his ear. If Kurt had left a voicemail, it would definitely be important. An automated voice spoke up in confirmation.

"One new message. To play this message, press three. To skip thi-"

The three was tapped unseeingly.

"Hey, David," Kurt's sweet voice started speaking softly. "I was hoping to talk to you but I'm guessing that whatever caused you to run out on me is having you avoid my calls, too. I just wanted to make sure you knew that this wasn't like last time. You can come to me."

Silence stretched out for a few moments, causing Dave's anxiety to wind up again. He'd relaxed at the sound of his fiance's voice and the lack of judging in it. When Kurt spoke again, he was quiet and heartbroken.

"I just. . .really miss you, David. We were just starting to work on our problems and then you left. You _left_ me. Just like they all said you would."

A quickly muffled sob and two new, concerned voices came over the line. Dave's heart broke as he listened to two people- men- comfort his fiance in place of him. No, they weren't only comforting Kurt instead of him, but because of him. He felt like the lowest of the low now. He had to talk to Kurt.

"I love you, David. I'm not going to give you up for anything. Please call me when you get this," Kurt finished quickly, obviously choking back tears.

Tears were slipping down Dave's cheeks slowly. Suddenly, it didn't matter how he looked or how he felt about his body. The love of his life was upset and in pain and thought he was alone. Worse, it was all his fault. Kurt thought that Dave had left him and that was not okay. He wiped at his face and punched in Kurt's number.

"H-hello?" Kurt greeted in confusion. It was obvious that he'd been busy and had answered the phone without looking.

"Hey, Fancy," Dave whispered, nerves streaking through his voice.

Kurt was quiet, so quiet, and the two voices from before where questioning him loudly about who was on the phone. Kurt answered them and Dave at the same time. "David?"

"Yeah, baby, it's me."

"Oh, _David_ ," Kurt cried out, his voice suddenly thick with tears. "I didn't think you'd call me back. I wasn't sure you wanted to talk to me at all, really."

All the anxiety and dread from earlier seeped out of Dave, leaving him slumped in shame. What kind of man was he that he made his fiance think that he didn't want to be with him? He felt like the worst kind of person.

"Never," he swore fiercely. "Kurt, I love you so much, you know that. It's just. . .when I realized where we were, all those horrible memories hit me at once and I just felt _awful_."

"Oh. _Oh_ ," Kurt breathed in realization. When he spoke again, his voice soft with understanding and regret. "David, I didn't even notice. I just knew that we were there and then you weren't and I was alone. Just like they all said would happen and it hurt."

Dave nodded even though the other boy couldn't see him over the phone. "I know, baby, I know. And I'm so sorry for that. I didn't even think of that when I left. I wouldn't have left if I had. I hope you know that."

"I thought so," Kurt agreed. There was a noticeable hesitation before he continued. "Davey. . ."

Jerking straight up at the name Kurt rarely called him, Dave leaned forward intently. "What is it, baby?"

"Can you come over?" the other boy asked meekly before sniffling. "I really miss you, you know."

"I know," Dave said softly, already tugging his jacket on before grabbing his car keys off his desk. If Kurt needed him enough to push his pride away and ask, he'd be there in a heartbeat. "I'll be there in a few minutes, okay?"

"Okay, great. You can meet my friends."

"It's not Hudson and Berry, is it? Because, Fancy, I love you, but I'm more likely to punch Berry in the face than to hang with her. And Hudson is just so dumb sometimes."

Kurt laughed quietly, happiness finally overshadowing the sadness in his voice as he said, "No, it's not Finn and Rachel. I think you'll like these two."

"Anyone but the Jolly Green Giant and his girlfriend from Munchkinland," Dave agreed, making his way down the stairs. He'd have to tell his parents where he was going.

Another laugh came across the line, this one joined by two others- Kurt's mysterious friends, Dave supposed.

"Oh, and David?"

"Yes, Fancy?"

"I love you, too," Kurt said sweetly before hanging up.

Dave didn't realize that he was standing dumbly at the bottom of the stairs with a goofy grin twisting his lips until his mom came in from the kitchen. She had an intent look on her face but stopped abruptly in surprise when she saw Dave standing there.

"Davey?" she stared at him blankly before crossing her arms over her chest and quirking an eyebrow. "Why are you standing there with that stupid look on your face?"

The smile Dave had been sporting dropped and a scowl replaced it. "What the Hell, Mom?"

Kristy shrugged. "I only call it like I see it."

"Whatever," Dave rolled his eyes, moving to the door quickly, suddenly deciding to not tell his mom where he was going. He'd just text his dad later or something.

"Where do you think you're going?" Kristy's sharp voice stopped him in his tracks. "I was coming to ask you what you wanted for dinner!"

Dave grit his teeth and inhaled slowly; he loved his mother to death but, God, she was annoying as Hell sometimes. Apparently, trying to get to the boyfriend that needed him was one of those times. "Kurt called," he drawled out, his clenched jaw making it difficult.

"Oh, he did, did he? And what did he say?"

Turning to face the woman, Dave slumped against the door and said, "He misses me. Wants me to come see him and meet his friends."

He hesitated a moment before pushing on. "He loves me."

His mom smiled at him gently, dropping her angry stance. "That's great, honey," she said excitedly. "I'm really happy for you. Where are you guys going?"

"Going?" Dave repeated blankly.

"Yes, going. You _are_ taking him out, right?" Kristy's eyes hardened again when it became obvious that, no, Dave hadn't been planning on taking Kurt anywhere. "David! The boy you're in love with that you thought had broken up with you just called and told you he misses you and still loves you! For God's sake, man, he wants you to meet his friends! After keeping your relationship a secret for all this time, too."

Dave hesitated. Maybe Kurt _would_ want to go out tonight. It'd be great to cover their tracks together, too, before they slipped up and said something they shouldn't have. "You think I should?"

Kristy stared at him and said firmly, "Yes. Absolutely."

Looking down resignedly, he glanced at what he was wearing and looked back up at his mom. "And I suppose I have to change for that."

"You don't _have_ to," she replied unconvincingly.

"But?" Dave pushed. He knew how his mom worked when it came to this stuff.

"But you should," she conceded swiftly. Her eyes sparkled in amusement as she kept going. "Kurt would definitely appreciate the extra effort."

Sighing, Dave brought a hand up to rub at his forehead in frustration. "You know, you won't always be able to use Kurt against me like this."

A high, tinkling laugh burst out of Kristy. She kept laughing for a few minutes as Dave stared at her, irritated. Finally, she took a deep breath and wiped at her eyes. "Oh, honey," she said sweetly, laying a small bony hand on his cheek and smiling up at him. "Yes, I will."

When he sighed again, she gave his cheek a quick pat and turned him back to the stairs. "Now, go find something nice to wear, go meet Kurt's friends, and take Kurt out somewhere nice and romantic for dinner. I'll tell your father where you've gone when he gets in from work."

"Thanks, Mom," Dave called over his shoulder as he made his way back up the stairs to his room. He could already feel the dread starting to creep up on him at the thought of finding something 'nice' to wear. It would have to be something his mom liked, he thought looked good, and Kurt would approve. Did he even have anything like that in his closet?

Dave reached the landing and walked into his room. He sighed and made his way to his closet, feeling as if he was marching to his death. There was no hope at the end of this particular journey.

Flipping through shirt after shirt, a victorious smile sliced across his face just when he thought he'd have to give up. "Yes," Dave breathed happily. There, near to the back of his closet, was the Holy Grail of all his clothes. He pulled it off the hanger gently and laid it on the bed before turning to his dresser to dig up a plain black undershirt. That he was able to find much quicker. Just as he went to strip out of his tee and change into the undershirt, his phone rang. He yanked the shirt in and tried to answer the phone at the same time.

"He- _shit_ -llo?" Dave grunted, finally tugging the fabric over his chest and into place. He reached for the shirt on the bed and pulled it on, fumbling to roll up the sleeves.

"Uh. . .hey, man," the voice of his past life best friend, Azimio Adams, came over the line. "What's up?"

Dave tucked the phone between his ear and shoulder roughly, watching himself fix his sleeves clumsily at his elbows. He knew that showing off his forearms like this would drive Kurt crazy. It would only add to the points he'd get when his fiance realized Dave was wearing a silky shirt that enhanced the green in his eyes _and_ went with his complexion. "Kinda busy, Az," he snapped, glancing again at his outfit and deciding the dark jeans he was already wearing would be fine.

"What the Hell?"

"Sorry," Dave sighed, taking a hold of the phone and brushing down his clothes. "What's up?"

"Just wanted to know if you wanted to hang or something," Azimio drawled slowly. "You busy?"

"Yeah, man." Dave replied, throwing his tee into his dirty clothes hamper.

"What're you doing?"

Making his way back down the stairs, Dave wasn't sure what to say. Did he want Az to know about Kurt? He was about to lie and say anything other than what he was actually doing when he caught sight of his mom waiting for him at the bottom of the stairs. She was smiling at him softly and nodding her head in approval. That smile, that approval, that _happiness_ reminded Dave of every time he'd gone out with Kurt to some fashion show or musical and not tried to hide what they were to each other. It reminded him of the joy that had just _poured_ off of Kurt when Dave had proposed in the middle of a crowded shopping mall, desperate to prove that he wasn't a scared little boy anymore, that he really loved Kurt. He knew then that he couldn't lie about Kurt again. _'Anymore,'_ Dave corrected himself.

"Dave?"

"Huh?" Dave grunted, raising an eyebrow when his mom motioned for him to come closer. He complied warily, anxiety streaking through him at the look on her face. When she brought her hand from behind her back and sprayed him with a bottle of cologne she'd been concealing, he knew the anxiety was justified. "What the _Hell_ , Mom?!"

Kristy laughed and leaned forward to whisper, "Your father is home. He suggested it."

"Seriously, Dave, what the Hell is going on with you?" Azimio's voice crackled across the line, annoyed.

"Jesus, Az," Dave snapped. "I have a date, like, right now, my parents are being dicks, and you're holding me up."

"A _date_?" Azimio repeated incredulously.

"Yes," Dave replied shortly, his voice gruff. "It's really important to me and if I don't leave now, it'll all be fucked up. I've already fucked it up once and don't want to do it again so _goodbye_."

He tapped the phone harshly and shoved it into his pocket. "You said Dad was home?" he asked his mom, trying to push away the irritation filling him.

Paul stepped out of the kitchen in answer, a beer in his hand and a proud grin on his face when he saw his son. He walked over to his wife and handed Dave a shiny set of keys. "Take these tonight, son. It's a special occasion."

"Thanks," Dave choked out, surprised but warmed from the inside out by his father's trust and love. This feeling is what he was afraid he'd lose when he came out the first time. "I really need to get going. Kurt probably already thinks I've bailed on him."

Kristy pushed him to the front door. "Go! We'll be here to hear all about it when you get back before midnight. You still have school tomorrow."

"I know. I'm going," Dave pulled open the door and walked out, the irritation bleeding away completely and being replaced by the same overwhelming mix of visiting Kurt. Tonight would be perfect.

***

The drive to Kurt's house felt like it would never end. The anticipation that was suffocating him at the thought of seeing his tiny, beautiful doll of a fiance was winding higher and higher. By the time he pulled the car into Kurt's driveway, Dave was tense and shaking. His hands were trembling so hard that it took three tries before he could manage to open the car door. When he finally did manage to get out of the car, he hurried up the walkway and knocked firmly on the door before he could lose his nerve.

There was a moment, after knocking, that Dave felt as if the world was frozen. He was locked at the crossroads of the repeating past and his once future. This was the moment that would decide if the happiness he'd felt in his first future would happen again.

He was knocked out of his daze by a noise from inside the house. Soft footfalls were pattering up to the door. Then the door was opening. Shocked, happy glasz eyes looked up into loving hazel.

"David?" Kurt whimpered out in surprise.

"Hey, baby," Dave answered, ducking down to press a soft, swift kiss to his fiance's smooth cheek. He pulled back up quickly and rubbed at the back of his neck self-consciously. "Miss me?"


	5. Chapter 5

Kurt stared at the boy in front of him in shock. Even though Dave was physically seventeen years old, all Kurt could see was the man he agreed to marry at twenty-six. The shock of seeing his fiance so young and unsure, so unlike the brave and carefree young man who proposed to him in front of a crowd full of people, kept him immobile. The Dave Karofsky who stood before him now gave off an interesting mix of the boy who stole the cake topper before Kurt's father's wedding, the teenager who lavished him with gifts over Valentine's week, and the man who loved him and stayed with him despite all the people who disagreed with their relationship. He was unbelievably amazing, standing there ready to go through all of it again.

"Davey," Kurt choked out, his throat tight with tears. He threw himself at Dave, trusting the other boy to catch him, and wrapped thin arms around his neck. Quiet little sobs pushed out of his throat and shook his body.

Muscular arms pulled him even closer and settled at his waist, a comforting weight picking him up off the ground slightly.

"Ssh, baby," Dave soothed, rubbing a hand down his back. "It's alright. I'm here. We're gonna be okay."

Heavy footsteps pounded down the stairs inside the house, causing Kurt to pull away and wipe at his face futilely. As the sound got closer, Kurt groaned in realization. He ignored the confusion on Dave's face and turned to look back into the house.

"What do you want?" Kurt asked, his voice flat and unimpressed.

Puck raised his eyebrows and smirked. "Well, I dunno, Princess. You've been out here a _long time_."

Kurt crossed his arms over his chest, giving Puck one of his best 'bitch please' looks. "And your point is. . . ?"

"I don't think your dad would be happy if he knew me and Sam left you alone with Duke Stud of McKinley out there."

"My dad doesn't even know you're here, Puckerman," Kurt sneered, rolling his eyes. He yelped when Dave's thick arms wrapped around him again, this time from behind. A soft kiss to the back of his neck reassured him and he twisted his fingers through Dave's, dropping his head back against the other boy's chest. He loved the way Dave always got possessive and wrapped around him when other guys were near.

"I didn't know, either," Dave said pointedly. "I'm not sure if I like that, Kurt."

Kurt giggled breathlessly, his heart pounding affection through every inch of his body. Instead of replying, he pushed Puck towards the stairs and headed up behind him, pulling Dave along after the front door closed.

"Hey, Guppy Lips!" Puck shouted up the stairs. "Guess who's here!"

Sam popped his head out of the last door on the left, a wide smile stretching across his face when he saw who was trailing behind Kurt. "Duke Stud!"

Rolling his eyes, Dave muttered to Kurt. "Say something _one_ time and they _never_ let it go."

A sweet smile flickered across Kurt's face as he pulled Dave into his room. Puck and Sam were lounging on the bed, Puck's fingers once again plucking at Sam's mouth. Although it was clear Sam wasn't enjoying it, he laid there docilely letting Puck do as he pleased.

"These are your friends?" Dave asked, surprised but relieved. Even with Kurt's reassurance, he had feared that he'd be meeting Hudson and Berry tonight. Finn he could handle. It was Rachel he wanted to stay away from for a while. They hadn't really gotten along the first time and now, after what Kurt had told him at the restaurant before traveling, he wasn't sure he could even look at her without punching her in her smug, self-centered little face. Not even the outrageous amount of therapy and anger management classes he'd suffered through over the years would hold him back.

It was obvious that Kurt could tell what he was thinking from the sly smirk that he was unsuccessfully trying to hide. He curled his fingers through Dave's and tugged him forward. "Puck, Sam, this is my fiance, Dave."

Kurt hoped he hadn't thrown Dave off too much by revealing how much Puck and Sam knew about their relationship. At this point, knowing that Dave still loved him and was going to take care of him, he just wanted to shout it out to the world.

When Dave's hand squeezed his, he looked at the other boy to find a familiar expression on his face. It was a heady mix of love, affection, pride, and desire that always flared up in Dave when Kurt laid claim to him. A tiny shiver ran through Kurt and he returned the look.

"So," Sam broke the silence, having noticed the exchange between Kurt and Dave. "It's obvious to us that you make Kurt weirdly happy."

Dave raised an indignant eyebrow. "It's weird that Kurt's happy?"

"Um, I just meant that, uh," Sam stuttered, not knowing how to explain. Luckily for him, Puck had his back.

"He means that Princess usually pulls off a prime ice bitch act," Puck replied dully, rolling his eyes. "But when he's talking about you or with you he's all soft."

"Soft?"

"Yeah, you know. Like a kitten."

Kurt's jaw dropped open a little before his eyes narrowed and he snapped his teeth together.

"A kitten," Dave repeated, his voice dubious. "Soft like a kitten."

"Soft like a kitten," Puck nodded in confirmation, ignoring all the warning signs.

Kurt let out an angry little huff. "Noah Puckerman, I will _end_ you. Soft like a kitten, my ass."

Puck rolled his eyes again. "Please. Princess, you're usually like a ferocious tiger, tearing people to shreds at the slightest threat. But when you're talking about Karofsky it's all about how sweet he is, how smart he is, how athletic he is. You never even say anything about his clothes or the crap you're usually bitching about."

A heavy blush flooded Kurt's cheeks and he gazed at the floor bashfully. He didn't even realize he was pulling away from Dave until a large, rough hand caressed his face. The thumb swiping over his cheek caused him to look up. His gaze was caught by Dave's and his breath hitched roughly at what he saw there. Before he could say anything, however, Dave spoke up.

"Remember Mark?" he asked, naming one of the bartenders at Scandals, a gay bar outside Lima that he and Kurt had frequented quite a bit the first time.

Kurt's mouth tightened. How could he ever forget the flamboyant twink that constantly hung off his man. "Of course I do."

"And Sebastian?" Dave pushed, ignoring the looks of confusion Puck and Sam were sending him. Kurt was embarrassed and it was his job as Kurt's fiance to fix that. He knew bringing up Sebastian would be risky but hopefully it would be worth it.

The flinty gaze Kurt was starting to give him didn't bode well. Kurt pulled completely away from Dave, crossing his arms over his chest in a familiar 'stay away from me' move that had taken Dave only a month to figure out.

"Where are you going with this, David?" Kurt asked, his voice flat.

Dave raised his hands palms out to signal his reluctance to continue without touching Kurt. As soon as Kurt sighed and dropped his arms, he moved forward to lay a possessive hand on Kurt's waist, the other laying on his shoulder with his thumb stroking Kurt's neck.

"I just mean that those guys have given me so much shit for the way I talk about you," Dave explained. "Mark bitches every time I say something about how sweet you are or how much you care. I'm pretty sure Sebastian's convinced you have the tightest ass in Ohio with the way I go on and on about you."

Kurt laid a small hand over his cheek in an attempt to cover his fiery blush. Loud giggles were coming from the bed where Puck and Sam had been listening unashamed. "David!"

"You know how he is," Dave shrugged. "What else would he think?"

Sighing in defeat, Kurt nodded. "So what you're saying is that we're getting to be one of _those_ couples."

Dave laughed. "Oh, baby, we've always _been_ one of those couples. You just try to ignore it."

"Hmph," Kurt sniffed. He looked Dave up and down critically. "Speaking of your clothes, why are you so dressed up?"

All of Dave's self-consciousness from earlier returned with a vengeance. He flushed dully and shuffled his feet. "I was hoping you would go out with me tonight."

"On a date?" Kurt squeaked out, eyes wide.

"Yes, on a date. Kurt, we need to talk about this," Dave replied as he waved his hand around vaguely, making it obvious to his fiance what 'this' he was talking about.

"I know we do," Kurt agreed, sighing. His gaze flicked from Dave to the boys on the bed and back. "But a date? Like, in public? Where people will see us and know exactly what's going on?"

At the quiet confusion in Kurt's voice, Dave's heart broke. It was obvious that he wasn't the only one that was feeling like a teenager again. This situation was clearly making Kurt remember the loneliness and rejection that had characterized this time in his life.

"Of course I do, baby," Dave said quietly, sincerity lacing every word.

"But why?"

"If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always gotten," Dave answered honestly. They were being given a second chance at the darkest part of their relationship and he wanted to fix it all. He knew that the problems they'd been having at twenty-six were an overdue result of the problems they'd had at seventeen. Now that they could rewrite that and end up happier than they'd been, Dave would do anything to have that.

"I meant it then and I mean it now," Kurt shook his head. "When you're ready, Dave, I'll stand with you. But only when you're ready."

"I think I love you," Dave replied, smiling.

A barely noticeable tear slipped down Kurt's pale cheek as he grinned back. "Wait. You _think_ you love me?"

Dave laughed and shrugged. "Only enough to take you to Breadstix tonight and then walk into school with you tomorrow and move to New York with you and marry you."

"Oh, well, if _that's_ all," Sam cut in, oblivious to the shocked look on Kurt's face. "I say you get out of here now so you can be gone before Kurt's dad gets back."

"Or Finn and Mrs. H," Puck agreed.

"Right," Sam nodded, standing up from the bed. "So this is how it's gonna go, Karofsky. You're gonna take our boy out to Breadstix-"

"Get him whatever he wants," Puck spoke up in a threatening voice. "Take him for a walk-"

"-at the park near North Lima High," Sam clarified. "The caretakers there actually do their jobs. You can hold his hand-"

"-but don't push for more unless you know he wants it. Just because he's not saying no doesn't mean he's saying yes."

"Then bring him back here at a respectable hour. We will still be here so don't get handsy when you kiss him goodnight."

"Wait, wait, wait," Kurt interrupted, shaking his head wildly. "You're just going to stay in my room while I'm out on a date?!"

"Nah, don't worry, Princess," Puck said. He smirked and winked at Kurt. "We're gonna dominate Finn's Xbox downstairs in the living room."

Sam laughed brightly and nodded. "His high scores will be destroyed by the time he gets back."

Kurt stared at them in disbelief. "What about my dad and Carole? What if they ask what you're doing here?"

"We'll tell them that we're waiting for you to get home from your date so we can interrogate you about it," Sam said seriously. "After all, Karofsky isn't gonna make you hide your relationship from your family, is he?"

"Nah, Karofsky's good people. He wouldn't do that," Puck stared at Dave intently. "Would he?"

Dave grabbed Kurt's hand and pulled him close, stroking his thumb across the soft skin. "We should have dinner later this week, Kurt. You, me, my parents, your parents- it'll be good for us." He looked away from the bright eyes of his fiance to the blank expressions on Sam and Puck's faces. "You guys can call me Dave, y'know."

Shaking his head, Sam said, "Maybe we will sometime, but you've got some work ahead of you. You're Kurt's first boyfriend and since you guys are so serious, we need to know we can trust you with Kurt before we even try to like you."

"Thanks," Kurt said quietly, still staring up at Dave with wonder in his eyes. "Are you ready to get out of here, Dave?"

"Yeah, baby," Dave nodded to Sam and Puck before following Kurt out the door. "Let's go."


	6. Chapter 6

"Stop- would you just- Oh, my god! I hate you so much!"

"Suck it, Guppy Lips! I win again!"

Carole Hudson considered herself to be very adaptable and able to go with just about any situation. Stepping into her house after a long day of work and hearing two voices, neither of which belonged to any of the men in her family, yelling loudly at each other was just another of those situations.

She put her coat and purse away in the hall closet and made her way to the living room which was where the yelling seemed to be coming from. She was proven correct when she walked in to see Noah Puckerman and Sam Evans- two of her son's friends and teammates- laying on top of each other in front of the television. The television itself was looping through a victory scene in Mario Kart 64, a game Carole only recognized from the annoying music.

"And just what are the two of you doing here?" She asked, putting her hands on her hips. "Where's Finn?"

Puck and Sam snapped up from their relaxed cuddling and twisted around to look at her. Where Sam blushed in embarrassment, Puck only smiled brightly.

"Mrs. H!" he greeted smoothly, giving her a cheeky grin that she was quite familiar with by now. "The Finnster is at Rachel's and isn't supposed to be back until after dinner."

Sam rolled his eyes and continued, "Which means he won't be home until her dads finally get tired of him and kick him out."

Nodding at their answers, Carole tried to hold in her confused frown. She would never want to make any of Finn's friends feel unwelcome, but she didn't understand why they would be there when Finn wasn't. She was just about to ask that when a new voice called out from the front door.

"Is anybody home?" Burt asked, making his way into the house.

"Just me, Noah and Sam," Carole called back dryly, staring at the two boys who were suddenly calm and still. "Finn's at Rachel's."

"So his friends are here because. . ." Burt trailed off as he came into the living room. He gave Carole a swift kiss on the cheek and turned to the boys, raising his eyebrow in question.

Sam pouted sullenly. "We're not _just_ Finn's friends, y'know. We're Kurt's friends too."

"Actually," Puck shook his head. "I think we're more Kurt's friends than Finn's. We just hang out with Finn more because of football practice."

"You're probably right," Sam conceded, losing his pout as quick as it had come.

Carole and Burt shared a look, the kind that spoke of years of raising children and having questions evaded. Most of the time it wasn't on purpose, but as parents they had to make sure they got answers no matter what.

"Okay," Burt nodded, a little confused but willing to go with it. "You're here for Kurt. Where is he?"

"Oh, he's not here," Puck answered, smiling up at them from the floor. "He went out."

"Did he ever," Sam giggled a little. "Did you see that car?"

"Right?" Puck stared at Sam with wide eyes. "It was awesome."

Before Carole or Burt could get the boys back on track, they heard the door open again and Finn's lumbering footsteps. As if in a daze, Finn came into the living room and sat on the couch before noticing all the people. He blinked, confused, but smiled at everyone.

"Uh, hey," he greeted brightly. "What are you guys doing?"

Carole took a deep breath, used to having to pull from a deep well of patience when it came to her son. "Noah and Sam came by to see Kurt while we were all out."

"Oh, okay," Finn said, then looked around. "Well, where's Kurt?"

By this point, Carole was feeling a little agitated. Burt was still simply curious, knowing that his son would be amused at the situation in front of him, if only because Kurt loved anything that could potentially wind his dad up. Puck and Sam were obviously highly amused, if their shaking bodies and red faces were any indication.

"He went out," Puck blurted out, trying not to laugh when he caught sight of the look Carole was throwing his way. Burt had also caught the look and sighed.

"Start from the beginning, boys," he commanded, using the same voice he used at the shop when he had to get particularly unruly employees to straighten up and do their jobs. It had the same effect on the teens in front of him as it did at the shop, Burt noticed and tried not to grin.

"Well, uh," Sam began nervously, his wide blue eyes darting from Burt to Carole and back. "It's not really our place . . ."

Puck rolled his eyes. "We don't gotta tell them everything, Sammy. Just the highlights. Like the fact that Kurtie was down in the dumps today and wanted his boyfriend to make it all better so we came over here to get the princess to call him."

"Oh, right," Sam nodded, catching on to the way Puck had decided to explain. "So his boyfriend came over to take him out on a date. Apparently, they'd had a fight or something that they needed to have a serious talk about."

"Right," Puck repeated. "So Kurtie left and asked us to stay so we could tell you all this. We decided to play some Mario Kart and I kicked Sam's ass! And then Mrs. H came in and Mr. H came in and then Finnocence and now here we are!"

When Puck finished, Sam groaned and put his face in his hands, trying to get away from his friend's insanity. He just knew that Mr. Hummel was going to end up calling Kurt to tell him that he needed new friends.

"Wait," Finn spoke up from the couch, looking at Puck and Sam with a puzzled expression. "Kurt has a boyfriend? Since when?"

"I think the better question is who," Burt said, his voice hard as he crossed his arms and stared at his son's friends. He had perfected the angry papa bear look and was not above using it to get some answers. Especially when those answers pertained to a boyfriend that he'd never known Kurt had. "Surely you wouldn't let my little boy leave here with some strange man, would you?"

Carole turned her face away so the boys wouldn't see her smile. She knew exactly what Burt was pulling, having become quite familiar with it by watching his interactions with Kurt. Softly laying her hand on Burt's tense arm, she squeezed comfortingly.

"No, of course not!" Sam burst out, panicked. Out of the three boys, he was the quickest to crack. "We even made him come in and meet us before they left, even though we already knew him from school."

"So Kurt's boyfriend is someone you guys go to school with?" Carole inquired, twisting to look at the boys. As a mother, she had to be perceptive. Because of this, she had gotten quite handy at picking up key information in what was otherwise casual statements. "Do you have any classes with him?"

Puck snorted. "Yeah, _no_. He's like crazy-genius smart."

"He shares classes with Kurt then," Burt concluded, relaxing slightly as he took in the fact that Kurt's boyfriend was just that, a boyfriend. Whoever the kid was, he wasn't some older creep taking advantage of an innocent boy.

"I think Kurt said they shared English and History," Sam offered, having paid more attention to Kurt's face when he'd been talking about his boyfriend and not the actual words he was saying. "But he's in Calculus and Spanish, instead of Trig and French."

"What did you guys _do_?" Finn asked, looking at Puck and Sam in astonishment. "Interrogate Kurt so you could learn his boyfriend's life story?"

"Yes," Puck and Sam answered proudly.

"That's good," Burt smiled in a fatherly way, a friendly yet no-nonsense sort of smile. "I want you to tell me everything you know."

Puck, being made of somewhat stronger stuff than Sam, patted his friend on the leg to let him know that he'd take on _this_ interrogation. He began after Sam smiled at him, weak and grateful.

"He's on the football team, hockey team, does crazy good kickboxing, is super hot, and totally cares about Kurt and Kurt's feelings," Puck listed, trying to stay calm in the face of Burt Hummel. "He's the total duke stud of McKinley."

At that, Finn's eyes widened in shock and he gasped. It was lost, however, when Sam spoke up thoughtfully. "You know, I bet he'd like it if we didn't call him that anymore."

"Yeah, well, I'd like it if he was less badass than me," Puck grumbled. "But we can't all have what we want, now can we?"

"Is that all you know?" Burt cut in before they could get off track.

They nodded, having spilled almost all of their secrets. The name, of course, was something they were still trying to hold back. What they didn't count on, however, was just how perceptive Carole was.

"So, Finn," she said, her voice light and conversational. It was a warning for Finn, who knew that when his mother's voice was like that, it meant she was a snake waiting to strike. He was proven right when she spoke again. "I noticed you recognized something in Noah's little run down. What was it?"

"N-nothing," Finn tried to hedge, but gulped and caved at the look on his mom's face. "Just a few words."

Carole hummed, nodding her head. "A phrase? Which one?"

Puck and Sam turned to look at Finn pleadingly, knowing the game was lost when Finn couldn't look back.

"Duke stud," he murmured quietly, feeling his friends' twin looks of betrayal weighing on him.

"I thought so," Carole said, soothing and calm. She wanted answers, not breaking Finn completely. Had she been anything but a parent, it wouldn't be going half as smoothly. "And why is that?"

Finn sighed, looking up at his mom with soft eyes. "There's a guy at school that said it once."

"Was he talking about himself?"

"Yes," Finn shifted nervously. He knew he was being lead straight into a trap but no matter how many times his mom did this, he couldn't escape it. It was like some scary mom superpower or something.

"And his name is?" Carole coaxed quietly, one step away from having all the answers. Despite doing it for her son's own good, she always felt a little power rush when their game reached this point. She didn't realize, however, that her soft and slow breaking of Finn was tearing at Puck and Sam's walls as well. As a result, all three of the boys broke at the same time.

"David Karofsky."


	7. Chapter 7

"Well, this is nice," Kurt muttered, shooting a derisive glance around the restaurant. He gave the waitress a quick, plastic smile when she gave him the menu, but quickly went back to glaring at the other patrons.

Dave snorted. "No, it's not. You can't fool me, Kurt."

Softening slightly, Kurt looked up at the other teen and sighed. "I'm sorry. It's just. . .Breadstix? Really?"

"This is more about letting all of Lima know I'm with you rather than dining on fancy cuisine," Dave explained patiently. He wanted to make sure that from this point forward, he and Kurt were on the same page. There wouldn't be any help in recreating past mistakes. "I'm not hiding anything this time and that includes you."

"David. . ." Kurt breathed, love and affection bright in his wide eyes. Before he could even attempt to reply to that, the waitress was back at their table.

The older woman smiled down at them, pen and pad at the ready. "Can I get you boys anything?"

Kurt smiled back, feeling a bit more gracious after Dave's sweet words. "Yes, thank you. He'll have the four cheese lasagna, a Caesar salad with buttermilk ranch, and a Coke. I'll just have the salad, no dressing, and diet coke."

A little of the peppiness in the waitress's demeanor drained away but she nodded and wrote it all down. "That all?"

"No," Dave cut in, ignoring the glare Kurt sent his way. "We'll also split a double chocolate cheesecake, french vanilla ice cream on the side. Please."

"Sure," the woman smiled brighter, flouncing off to fill their order.

"David, I do not need all that sugar," Kurt pouted. "It'll go straight to my hips."

"It will not," Dave denied, years of experience giving him the advantage in this argument. "It's going to go straight to your dick, if anything. That's how it always is: you eat a lot of sugar, get super horny, and we spend all day in bed."

Flushing darkly at his fiance's blunt words, the smaller teen curled into himself and snapped back. "If that's true, what am I supposed to do tonight? I'll have to go home to a lonely bed, more aroused than usual, and you'll be stuck not touching me."

"Aw, c'mon, Fancy," Dave pleaded, snatching Kurt's hand and holding it tightly. "Don't be like that. I figured we'd at least have a little fun on the way home."

Kurt snatched his hand back before Dave could start anything. "Not until we get this" -he motioned between them- "straightened out."

Sighing, Dave leaned back in his seat and started playing with the salt shaker. "You're right, I know that. I just wanted us to have a little fun. We haven't had the chance in a while."

"I'm sorry," Kurt started, but was interrupted by the waitress returning with their dinner. He looked up at her and nodded. "Thank you."

Dave repeated the sentiments and she smiled at the two of them. "Enjoy your meal."

As she walked away, the two boys dug into their food. Dave hummed happily around a warm, gooey bite of lasagna, but kept a careful eye on Kurt who was picking at a piece of lettuce with a small frown. For a moment, Dave almost felt as if nothing had changed; he felt like he had every other night out with Kurt, watching as the other boy forced himself to eat food that wasn't really what he wanted, just because it was 'good' for him.

"You don't have to glare like it's the salad's fault it tastes so bad," he murmured, his voice light and amused. When Kurt looked up at him questioningly, he smiled teasingly. "You can just have the cheesecake if you want."

"We have this discussion every time we go out," Kurt complained. "In fact, the only time we didn't have it is the last time we went out, just before-"

He cut himself off, tilting his head down and stabbing viciously at his plate. It was so hard to remember that he and Dave weren't like they'd always been. They weren't men, or in Chicago, or happy together. They had somehow become teens in Lima just starting to reconnect after months of a chilly relationship. When Kurt did remember, he felt small and hopeless. Would things ever again be the way they were?

Hearing Dave sigh, Kurt looked up at him cautiously.

"I know that things between us are really difficult right now," Dave said quietly, not looking at Kurt. "But you're right. We didn't have the same discussion when we went out for Chinese. We were too busy talking about us and our relationship. We were starting to fix things. Can't we do that tonight, too?"

Kurt laid his fork down and reached across the table for Dave's hand, holding it firmly and stroking his thumb over smooth skin until the other boy looked up at him. When wary green eyes looked into his, Kurt smiled softly. "Of course we can. Where should we start?"

Dave smiled back and moved his hand so that their fingers were knotted together. "Well, how about how we got here?"

"I'm not really sure about that," Kurt admitted, hating that he didn't have answers for everything. "Just, one minute we were there and the next we were here. I do have some idea though. . ."

"What is it?" Dave pressed, sensing the hesitation in Kurt's voice.

"It's just. . ." Kurt trailed off, a frown spreading across his face as he thought back to the events that happened right before he and Dave took their little trip. "Did you notice anything. . . _off_ about the waiter?"

"The waiter?" Dave asked, surprised. "At the Chinese place?"

Kurt nodded. "He was strangely excited about something. And he was a little old to be working tables, don't you think?"

"Let me get this straight. You think that the waiter sent us back in time based off the fact that he was old and in a good mood."

"There's no need for skepticism," Kurt muttered, a flush of embarrassment rising high on his cheeks. "It was just a suggestion."

"Alright, alright," Dave soothed, keeping his voice low and warm. "So we might have the 'how'. What about the 'why'?"

"That's easy," Kurt rolled his eyes. "We are obviously here to correct something that altered our lives in a way that shouldn't ever have happened."

"Obviously," Dave agreed, half-amused yet half-upset. He had a very good idea of what that 'something' had been. All the secrecy surrounding his sexuality in high school eventually leading to secrecy surrounding his relationship with Kurt years later had hurt his fiance more than any of Dave's own angry words.

Kurt looked at him with loving, knowing eyes. "It'll be alright, Davey. We're already on the right track to letting people know about us, since we told Puck and Sam."

"We didn't really _tell_ them anything," Dave denied. "You just told them that we've been together long enough to be thinking of engagement."

"Well, we can fix that later when I get home," Kurt offered. "We'll tell people whatever you want."

Dave shook his head. "What do _you_ want to tell them?"

"Something that's as close as possible to the truth," Kurt answered softly, staring into Dave's eyes. "I don't want to give anyone any reason for doubting us. If we tell them that we've been together for over two years, then all those things they tried to tell me would be without any foundation."

"Then that's what we'll tell them," Dave promised, his fingers tightening around Kurt's. "And when we get engaged, no one will be anything but happy for us."

"Promise?" Kurt asked, his voice weak and hopeful.

"Well, except for Blaine," Dave joked. After a few long talks and a lot of tears, both on his part and Kurt's, Dave had finally managed to accept that Blaine wasn't a threat to his and Kurt's relationship. Before they had been thrust back in time, he and Blaine were slowly becoming friends. "He'll be pissed because he missed his chance."

Kurt laughed sweetly, knowing exactly where Dave was coming from. He stopped suddenly, however, when he caught sight of something behind Dave. "Speak of the devil."

"Nooo," Dave groaned quietly, rather aware of why Kurt would say that.

"Just think of it as our first test," Kurt reassured, pulling his hand away from Dave's and turning to smile brightly at the familiar figure that was approaching. "Blaine! Hi!"

"Kurt," Blaine greeted, coming to a stop at their table. "I wasn't expecting to see you here tonight."

"I wasn't expecting to be here," Kurt said lightly. "What brings you to this fine establishment two hours away from home?"

Surprisingly, Blaine started fidgeting nervously. "Ah. I'm just here for support. Wes and David are trying to, um. . ."

A warm chuckle coming from Dave pulled Kurt's attention away from Blaine and he looked at his fiance questioningly. "What are you laughing at?"

"It seems as if Blaine's friends have met ours," Dave pointed across the restaurant, where Wes and David were sitting with Brittany and Santana. "And you just left them there to deal with that, Blaine? Not very nice."

"Oh, dear. . ." Kurt quickly turned away as Santana started rubbing her hand down Wes's side. "Dave's right. That's not nice at all."

Blaine giggled hysterically. "Yes, well. I couldn't handle it."

"You're more than welcome to join us," Kurt offered, trying to think of how he could make it up to Dave later.

"Oh, no. I couldn't possibly interrupt your-" Blaine threw a quick calculating glance at the table, where Kurt and Dave's hands had tangled together once more. "-date? Kurt!"

Kurt flushed lightly and giggled. "Yes, date. Blaine, this is my long-time boyfriend Dave. Dave, this is my new friend Blaine. I told you about meeting him a few weeks ago on my spying mission."

Dave smiled up at Blaine sweetly, holding out his free hand. As he and Blaine traded firm shakes, he said, "Oh, yes. Lead soloist of the Warblers?"

"Yes," Blaine nodded, his voice confident and proud. He hesitated before smiling apologetically. "I'm sorry. I don't think Kurt's mentioned you."

"He wouldn't have," Dave shook his head. "After all, why would he brag to his new friend about his totally hot, super sweet boyfriend?"

Blaine's eyes widened, but before he could say anything, Kurt snorted loudly.

"Oh, hush. You're a brutish, inconsiderate little boy." Kurt reprimanded, his voice betraying the sincerity of those words. He smiled at Dave sweetly before turning back to Blaine. "We're just recently coming out as a couple. I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

"It's totally fine," Blaine answered, his smile open and accepting as always. "How recent?"

"Well, we've been together for a little over two years," Dave admitted, holding in a gleeful smile at Blaine's astonished expression. "But I wasn't ready to come out, so Kurt's been patiently waiting on me to tell people. I started today."

"Congratulations!" Blaine gushed. "That must have been such a big step for you!"

"It was," Dave confirmed. "But it was something I had to do for not just myself, but Kurt and our relationship as well."

"You must love each other a lot," the younger teen observed, his voice happy if a little wistful.

"I like to think we do," Kurt joked, glancing at Dave affectionately. "But what do I know?"

They all laughed brightly, happy and high on the affirmation of good things in life. For Kurt and Dave, it was a step in their relationship that they hadn't known they needed. As rough as the past day had been, they were both thankful for the chance they'd been given.

"If you don't mind me asking," Blaine started, after they'd calmed down and the offer to stay had been made again- this time by Dave- and he had taken it. "Why did it take you so long to come out?"

Dave smiled sadly. "Well, for starters, I'm not one of those guys that has just always known, y'know?"

"Not like me," Kurt put in, snuggling into Dave's side. He had moved to the other side to sit with Dave when Blaine had joined them. Not only did it eliminate Blaine's awkwardness when choosing which side to sit on, but it also satisfied some part of Kurt that he didn't even know existed that wanted to be publicly acknowledged as Dave's boyfriend. "Dave's always been 'one of the guys'."

"Right," Dave nodded. "I play football and hockey; I don't fit the stereotypes. I didn't notice any boys until the summer before freshman year. All my friends were going on about their girls and I just didn't get it. Then one day, I went with my mom to get the oil changed in her car. While she was talking to the mechanic, I caught sight of a boy in the back of the shop. It was a boy that I knew, that my friends and I had made fun of all throughout middle school. But at that moment, all I could think was, 'God, he's so pretty.'"

He knew that Blaine wasn't the only one listening carefully at this point. The things he was saying were things that he'd never felt comfortable telling Kurt. Now, though, he had his chance to make things right. To make sure that Kurt knew how much he loved him, how much he wanted to be with him.

"I fell in love that day," Dave confessed. "I was scared, but so in love. I started riding my bike down to that shop at least once a week, hoping to see that boy. When school started, I wanted to let all my friends know that I finally _got_ it. I understood why they were so hung up on their girls, because I was hung up on my boy. But the first day of classes, I was walking by the dumpsters when I saw some guys, guys I thought were my friends, hassling Kurt."

By this point, Dave's voice was rough and wet. He was struggling to hold back tears and knew that the only thing that would get him through this was Kurt. Thankfully, Kurt took the pause as an opportunity to kiss his cheek and rub his thumb over their entangled hands, letting Dave know that he was here. He always would be.

Blaine, on the other hand, was looking at Dave with hooded, sympathetic eyes. He had the look of someone who knew. Knew what the hassling and the hate was like first hand.

"They were pushing him around and calling him things like 'faggot' and 'freak'," Dave said quietly. "I knew that no matter how I said it, how I explained it, these guys wouldn't _get_ it. So, I built myself a nice little closet and stayed in it. No one knew."

"Except for me," Kurt took over, keeping his voice light and affectionate. "Dave had been one of my biggest bullies in middle school, but he never acted like the other boys. One day I called him out on it and he kissed me."

Blaine gasped, surprise flooding his face. "He didn't!"

Kurt giggled, nodding quickly. "He did! I was so shocked that I couldn't stop him when he ran out. I don't know what I would've done if I had stopped him, to be honest. But after a few days of thinking, I got it. I searched Dave out, knocked on his closet door, and jumped in with him. We worked out our problems, became friends, and then he asked me to be his boyfriend. He told me that he'd come out if I wanted him to, but I couldn't do that to him. I'm a firm believer in letting people out themselves when they're ready. I still wanted to be with him, though, so I told him that we could be together even if he didn't come out."

"It was all fine until this year," Dave picked up the conversation, a bit more emotionally stable. He wrapped his arm around Kurt's shoulder and pulled him close. "All the secrets were just building and building. I couldn't handle it anymore so earlier today I told my parents. They were very cool about it and told me they loved me just the same."

"Then he came over to my house, met my friends, and surprised me with this very public date," Kurt smiled, wrapping the story up. "It was all very sweet."

Blaine smiled at the two of them, curled into each other tenderly. "That's a very moving story, even if I'm nearly entirely certain most of it's missing."

Kurt flushed. "Yes, well. Some things are just not anyone else's business."

"I think it's very romantic," Blaine comforted. "It says a lot about your relationship and the love you have for each other when you handle hiding everything for two years."

"All good I hope," Dave joked, relaxing now that they weren't so focused on him.

Smiling gently, Blaine stood from the table. "I can see that my friends are about to leave; I should go. I hope you have fun tonight."

"Thanks, Blaine," Kurt said happily. "It was good to see you again. Maybe we could have coffee sometime next week?"

"Sounds like a plan," Blaine grinned. He turned to Dave and stuck his hand out for a shake. "Dave, it was good to meet you. I'm glad my friend has such a good person as his boyfriend."

"Likewise," Dave replied, shaking Blaine's hand. "I'm glad my boyfriend has such a good person as his friend."

Blaine laughed and, tilting his head in acknowledgment, walked away from their table and towards Wes and David's. It seemed as if Santana and Brittany had no plans on moving any time soon. Kurt could see that they were asking Blaine where he had been and when four heads turned in his and Dave's direction, they gave friendly smiles and quick waves before turning to each other.

"It's much easier to be his friend when he's not predisposed to hating me on sight," Dave said, in regards to their conversation with Blaine.

"Oh, hush," Kurt rolled his eyes, cutting into the cheesecake the waitress had just laid in front of them. When he caught Dave looking at him in anticipation, he snorted. "Down, boy. I'm having one slice."

Dave huffed. "Alright, alright."

"So," Kurt began, taking little nibbles of the delicious dessert. "How do you want to handle things at school?"

"You mean, the jocks and glee?" Dave asked, waiting for Kurt's nod before continuing. "I say we just pretend like the jocks don't exist. Glee is up to you since they're your friends."

Kurt laid his fork down on his empty plate and sighed. "It all depends on who they are. We already know that Puck and Sam don't care. Tina, Mike, and Artie will probably just be happy for us in that way that friends always are for friends who are in relationships. Finn will most likely be confused, but be so excited about me having a boyfriend that he'll want to throw a party. Santana and Brittany won't know how to be because they won't want to give too many hints about their own relationship."

"What about the rest of the girls?" Dave asked quietly.

"Mercedes will be happy, but upset that I didn't tell her immediately. Quinn is indifferent to everything so she won't care," Kurt shook his head. "Rachel. . .I don't know how she'll be. I thought I used to, but I was wrong."

"I'm sorry, Kurt," Dave murmured, pulling Kurt in close to kiss him softly. "Why don't we just worry about that when the time comes? Let's get out of here."

Kissing in public was something Kurt wasn't sure he'd ever get used to, but hopefully with a lot of _practice_ he would. He smiled up at his boyfriend sweetly and nodded. "Okay."


	8. Chapter 8

You could always get a good feel for what was going on at McKinley by how quiet it was. If it was too quiet, something shocking had happened. If it was too loud, then it was probably just a regular day. This particular morning, it was as silent as a graveyard.

Then again, Kurt reflected, it was probably because everyone was too busy staring at him as Dave had him pressed against the lockers. By the feel of it, Dave was busy making sure everyone had something they would be able to stare at all day. Something large and dark and _on Kurt's neck_. He had to hand it to his fiance though. It was more than pleasurable to be marked as Dave's in front of all these people.

"What the Hell, man?!"

Getting marked as Dave's in front of _Dave's best friend_ , however, was not something Kurt was exactly comfortable with. Snapping back to reality, Kurt brought his hands from Dave's shoulders to his chest and pushed him away slightly. He could just barely hold back a shiver at the little noise that Dave's mouth made as it detached from his neck.

Dave sighed a little and turned around to look at his friend. Azimio was standing there with his arms crossed and a dark frown on his face. "Problem, Az?"

"Problem?" Azimio repeated incredulously. "You bet your ass 'problem'."

A sick lurching started in Kurt's stomach. He knew that Dave didn't want to hide anything, but when they'd become a couple the first time, Azimio hadn't been a problem. Him and Dave had already fallen out. Now, Kurt and Dave didn't have any clue what to expect.

To Azimio's credit, he completely ignored the scared looks on Dave's and Kurt's faces before pushing onward. "First, you hanging up on me like that was rude as hell. I thought I'd be a bro and ignore it since you had a date, but then you don't call me to tell how it went even though it sounded pretty damn important. To make it worse, I had my mama asking me when you became gay when I didn't even know!"

Dave stared at his friend disbelieving, quiet and still until Kurt laid a tentative hand on his shoulder. "So you don't care?"

Azimio glared. "I care you made me look stupid in front of my mama! And I care that I had to hear it from her in the first place. But, nah, I don't care that you're banging Hummel."

"We're _dating_ ," Kurt piped up, his high voice sharp and angry a moment before softening. "And you can call me Kurt."

Rolling his eyes, Azimio shrugged and dropped his arms before lifting them in a 'whatever' gesture. He stared at Dave with soft, hurt eyes. "Shit, man, you think I was gonna drop you as soon as I found out?"

"I didn't know," Dave answered, his voice cracking with repressed emotion. Before he could say anything else, the bell rang and caused the staring crowd to scuttle away like cockroaches in light.

Shaking his head and rolling his eyes again, Azimio threw an arm around Dave's shoulders and started pulling him down the hallway. "Let's go to class, you big baby. We'll see you later, Hummel."

"I want him back in one piece, Adams!" Kurt called after the two boys, his voice forceful but amused.

" _Later_ , Hummel!"

***

"Get you some, Twinkletoes," Santana called out as soon as Kurt walked into Glee later that afternoon, smirking at him from her place beside Brittany. "Never thought I'd see you in one of my favorite places."

Rolling his eyes, Kurt ignored everyone's stares until he settled into the seat between Puck and Sam. As he took in the various stares aimed at him, he sighed and focused on picking at his nails. _'Well, here went nothing.'_

"And what place would that be, Santana?" Kurt asked flippantly, giving Puck and Sam small grins when they shot vicious glares toward the cheerleader, warning her against saying anything too harsh.

She smiled at him saucily and drawled, "Up against the wall, of course."

There was a choking sound from the top of the risers and Kurt turned to see Finn's face screwed in shock. Keeping his voice light and nonthreatening, Kurt asked sweetly. "Is there a problem, Finn?"

"Yes!" Finn burst out only to whip his head around when Rachel gasped dramatically.

"Finn, how could you?" Rachel asked fiercely, her voice shrill. "You of all people should understand the joy of finding a loving relationship and you should be happy for Kurt, especially since he had so few options. He's your brother!"

Nodding frantically, Finn said, "Exactly! He's my brother! I don't wanna see him making out with his boyfriend at all. Not against a wall or in the locker room or under the bleachers!"

Kurt flushed delicately as everyone turned to stare at him in surprise. "If you hadn't have been skipping class, you wouldn't have seen us under the bleachers."

"If _you_ weren't skipping class, I wouldn't have caught you in the locker room," Finn answered loudly, an awkward flush flooding his face.

"Damn, Hummel," Santana whistled, her expression almost awed. "Three times in one day? You must've been busy."

Kurt tipped his chin up, refusing to let Santana embarrass him. Smirking, he met her gaze evenly and said, "We were only _caught_ three times today. And, to be fair, the episode in the hallway was on purpose."

For a brief second, Santana's jaw dropped and she gaped at him in disbelief. Before she could say anything, however, Brittany spoke up in her light, happy voice. "I always feel like having more sex when I'm happy. You and Davey must be really happy."

"I like to think that we are," Kurt said quietly, sincerity lacing every word. He knew that there was still a little lingering hurt from their misunderstanding and a little wariness from their travel but he felt as if their relationship was stronger than it had ever been.

Puck snorted, interrupting Kurt from his thoughts and causing everyone to look at the mohawked jock questioningly. When he noticed everyone's stares, he snorted again and started to giggle. This caused Sam to laugh which, naturally, lead to Kurt flush deeply. It became a vicious cycle as Kurt's flush caused Puck and Sam to laugh even harder.

"You two are ridiculous, I swear," Kurt hissed, dropping his face into his hands. "I hate the both of you."

"Aw, Princess, don't be that way," Puck whined, his laughter finally dying down. "We didn't mean anything by it."

"Yeah, Kurtie," Sam spoke up, still grinning brightly. Kurt brought his head up and eyed the wide-mouthed jock distrustfully but let him continue. "It's just that _unhappy_ couples don't typically get _engaged_ , you know?"

All noise in the choir room disappeared as everyone froze and stared at Kurt blankly. Kurt in turn stared at Sam.

"Engaged?" Finn choked out after a few awkward minutes of silence. " _Engaged?!_ Burt is going to _kill_ you."

"Oh, fuck," Kurt breathed, his eyes wide in fear. " _Fuck._ "

"Well," Rachel said quietly, her voice clear and honest. "I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say we're very happy for you, Kurt. Right, guys?"

A general murmur buzzed through the room as everyone nodded and agreed. The quiet drone of pleasantry was broken, however, by a loud sob. Everyone snapped their heads to the side to see Mike trying to soothe a teary-eyed Tina who was crying into her boyfriend's shoulder.

"Tina, honey, what's wrong?" Mike asked tentatively, concerned for his girlfriend.

"It's all just so lovely," Tina replied, little sobs breaking through her words. She gave Kurt a watery smile. "I'm so glad you're happy, Kurt. I couldn't hope for any better person to find love. You can bet that I'll be at the wedding."

"Aw, Tina," Kurt cooed, his eyes tearing a little as well. "You're so sweet! Of course you will, honey. I can't be missing any bridesmaids!"

***

"It went better than expected today," Kurt murmured softly from where he was laying on Dave's chest, tracing his fingers over Dave's shirt lightly. He nibbled his lip a little before continuing in a whisper. "Even with Rachel."

Dave hummed but kept stroking his hand over Kurt's back gently. He knew that his fiance had been nervous about telling everyone they were together because he didn't want a repeat of what they had come from so he was almost ecstatic at the thought of how the day had gone. "Did anyone seem angry?"

"No," Kurt answered contently. "Everyone was really happy for us. Tina was so happy she cried. What about you and Azimio?"

Laughing quietly, Dave tightened his arm around Kurt so the smaller boy wouldn't fall to the floor. "He kept whining about not knowing before his mom."

"Did you ever ask how she knew?" Kurt asked, voice quiet and unconcerned. He had known Mrs. Adams almost his whole life and knew that she was a good lady. It had always confused him how exactly such a nice lady could raise a terror like Azimio.

"Yeah," Dave replied, trying not to laugh. "She heard it at church Sunday after our date."

Kurt's brow furrowed in confusion. "How did she hear it at church?"

"Apparently Mrs. Evans was telling all the ladies in her Sunday school class about the romance of it all."

"Mrs. Evans? Sam's mother?"

Dave nodded, brushing his cheek against Kurt's hair as he laughed a little more. "Yep. Sam left here when you got home and went straight home to tell his mom all the sweetness of you and me."

Little shakes trembled through Kurt as he snorted loudly and giggled. "He's such a sap. I'm surprised he could even speak after the traumatic experience of being interrogated by Carole."

"Me too," Dave agreed, a wide smile stretching cross his face at the thought of what Kurt had explained as the funniest, most humiliating experience of his life. "I'm so glad I decided to just drop you off and go home. I do not want to have any part of that."

Kurt lifted his head up to stare at Dave incredulously. "If I recall correctly, it was _my_ idea for you to do that because I wanted to save you the embarrassment of meeting my father while you had a boner."

Flushing darkly, Dave shook his head and protested, "That's not my fault! You were totally being a tease the entire drive home."

Glasz eyes darkened as Kurt stared down at his fiance. He leaned in closer to Dave, their lips brushing together as he said, "Is that so? Well then, maybe I should do a little less teasing and a little more pleasing."

A quiet groan ripped its way out of Dave's throat right before their lips connected. A short, slick press of lips quickly degenerated into a deep, passionate kiss. Kurt would hold a long kiss with Dave, swirling their tongues together, before pulling back and pecking Dave's lips twice then moving in again to repeat the process. It had started out as a technique so they wouldn't get lost in each other but had soon become one of Kurt's favorite moves. Dave always countered it with little sucks on Kurt's tongue, trying to keep their mouths together as long as possible. It was highly effective and highly pleasurable.

So pleasurable, in fact, that neither one of the boys noticed when Burt walked in. They only noticed when he coughed loudly, causing them to break apart quickly. Kurt untangled his hands from Dave's hair and Dave slowly slid his hand out of the back of Kurt's pants, desperately hoping Burt wouldn't notice the movement.

"Don't you think you boys oughta keep it a little more PG in the living room?" Burt asked pointedly, crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow.

"No one was home," Kurt pointed out, carefully moving off of Dave. "We didn't really think it would be a big deal."

"Well now there is," Burt replied. "No more macking on each other on the couch."

"Fine," Kurt rolled his eyes. "Can we go up to my room now?"

"Nope."

"Why not?!"

Burt stared at Kurt, his eyebrow climbing higher at Kurt's tone. "Because Dave's mom just called. She wanted me to send him home for dinner. Said he wasn't answering his phone. Wonder why."

Before Kurt could even open his mouth, Dave cut in. "Crap, sorry. I forgot to charge it last night and it died on the way here. I should get going. Talk to you later, Kurt?"

Kurt pouted as Dave stood up and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. "Yeah, I suppose. I love you."

"I love you, too, Fancy," Dave answered, keenly aware of his fiance's eyes on him as he made his way to the door and left.

Sighing despondently, Kurt slumped and pouted even more before he caught sight of his dad again. Burt was staring at him, a teasing grin slowly spreading across his face.

"So-"

"No. Don't say a word."

"I'm just saying-"

"Not. One. Word."


	9. Chapter 9

"Was winning Nationals in Chicago just as good the second time around?" Dave whispered in Kurt's ear teasingly, mindful of all the people around them.

Kurt frowned a bit and shook his head slightly, "Believe it or not, it was a lot sadder."

"Why do you say that?" Dave asked, running his thumb over the back of Kurt's hand slowly. It was the only comfort he could think to offer his fiance as they were stuck in a restaurant booth surrounded by all their friends.

Kurt stared down at their tangled fingers and sighed. "The first time it was just this overwhelming feeling of finally getting what I deserved. I was so focused on that feeling that nothing else even occurred to me. This time I was just thinking about after, you know? After nationals, after graduation, after all of this."

Nodding slowly, Dave moved carefully until they were looking at each other. "Even after almost two years, it hasn't gotten any easier to forget before, has it?"

"No, it hasn't," Kurt replied, his eyes going soft with sadness. "I've loved all the different experiences we've had this time and I'm thankful for the chance we got, but I still miss it. When we get to that point this time, it won't feel the same."

"And things that happened before might not happen again," Dave said understandingly. "Remember that time Denise from across the hall got locked out on our balcony?"

Kurt snorted. "She was only wearing a hot pink thong and a tie. How could I forget?"

"We never did figure out why she was on _our_ balcony, though."

Falling into a fit of loud giggles, Kurt was kept from answering by a loud voice from across the table.

"Alright, lovebirds, it's your turn to order!" Puck interrupted, pointing at the waiter standing off to the side.

"Sorry, sorry," Dave apologized, looking over to the waiter. Before he could say anything, Kurt stiffened. He turned back to his fiance in concern. "Are you okay?"

Kurt ignored him, staring at the elderly man shrewdly. "You've already taken our order."

The man stared at Kurt in surprise before grinning happily. "I did."

Hearing the raspy voice heavy with familiarity, Dave realized who the waiter was. "It was a while ago."

"Did you enjoy it?" The man asked, hopeful yet knowing.

Kurt softened and gave the man a smile. "It was the best meal I've ever had. Thank you."

Ignoring the stares coming from all around the table, the man bowed low and said, "It was my pleasure, Kurt Hummel. May you have even more luck next time."

"I think we've had enough luck," Dave said seriously, feeling the air around them charge with something electric and dense.

The waiter grinned happily. "It is always good to have more, Dave Karofsky."

"In any case," Kurt said, his voice hard with finality. "I think our friends would like to have their meal now."

"Of course," the waiter replied, bowing again before turning away to leave.

As he left, Kurt turned to Dave and kissed him deeply, pulling away after only a few seconds. When Dave just sat there staring at him, he sighed. "Oh, thank God."

All around the table, wide eyes stared at him. Puck and Sam looked at the couple with a dawning realization, while Mike and Tina's faces were pale with horror. Everyone else just stared in confusion and shock at their blatant public affection. It was silent for a long while, each second ticking away slowly, before Tina finally found her voice.

"Kurt," she choked out, her voice trembling and weak. "Did you know that man?"

When Kurt looked at her, he could tell that she knew, so he nodded. "Dave and I met him once, a long time ago."

"It was only once," Dave repeated, looking at her with serious eyes. "It doesn't matter."

Tina shook her head rapidly but before she could say anything else, Kurt whipped his head to the side to look at his fiance.

_"David. . ."_


End file.
